Te Amo, Querida
by Moonlight Silhouette
Summary: Due to an assignment set by her professor, Suze jets off to Spain to further study her English essay topic. On the way she meets a total hottie, who just happens to be part of family she'll be staying with. His name is Jesse de Silva ... but he's engaged.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N - Here we go. Another new AU story. Slightly hesitant author. Hope you like it. Writing this kind of reminded me of when I went to Spain on a school trip. Good times.**

**This story is going to be pretty much fluff guys. Not a lot of angst, or plot twists, or whatever. Just pure Jesse/Suze. :)**

**Disclaimer - I own nothing. All Meg Cabot, because she is a genius.**

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_European Literature refers to text that is written in English, or any other European language. In this essay, I have chosen to focus my study on English literature and hope to talk about English literature through the ages from the first works in English, which were written in the Middle Ages, to the modern day novel._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon._

_--_

**Chapter 1**

I'd never left America before. The only time I left New York was to move with my mom to California when she married my step-dad, Andy. Even then, I'd stayed in California throughout the rest of high school. And now, finally, in my junior year of college, I am leaving the country.

Susannah Simon is going to Spain.

And I'm going with my two best friends, as well as three other people from my college English class.

"Attention passengers," the lady's voice echoed through the airport departure lounge. "Would passengers that are flying to Barcelona, Spain, lay-over in London, Heathrow, please make their way to gate number twelve for boarding please. I repeat -"

The rest of her message got lost as Cee Cee and Adam, my two best friends, walked excitedly over to me.

"That's us, Suze!" Adam whooped.

I shot him a look, gesturing to the fact that I'd already stood up and had my boarding pass ready.

"Oh, right," he dropped his head sheepishly. "Sorry."

I smiled.

"Don't be," I told him. "We're going to Spain!"

"Yeah!" Adam shouted whilst Cee Cee clapped her hands happily.

"Let's go," Cee Cee began walking off in the direction that would take us to gate number twelve, Adam and I following behind her.

My on-flight bag was weighing heavily down on my shoulder as I trekked down the long corridors trying not to point excitedly at the planes as I saw them taking off.

For God's sake Suze, I told myself. You've seen aeroplanes before ; you've been on one before. Get a grip, girl.

I suppose it was just the novelty of flying to a whole new country without my parents - or step-brothers. It was just me, my two best friends and three whole months to spend lazing around on Sunny Spanish beaches.

The only downside is that while I was over here, I had to write an essay on European Literature - which was kind of the reason for our trip in the first place.

I was snapped out of educational thoughts be Cee Cee's finger poking my shoulder.

"Ow!" I whined, rubbing the sore spot. "What was that for?"

"Look at that guy over there." She pointed a milky white finger at the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen, walking slightly ahead of us.

He was tanned, tall and had a chest to die for - from what I could see through his white shirt that was unbuttoned at the top.

I had to stop my jaw from dropping open.

"Oh my God." I whispered.

"I know," Cee Cee nodded. "And, he's heading in the same direction as us, maybe he's on our flight?"

I smiled happily and sped up, now more excited then ever to get on the plane.

I joined Adam, who was with the rest of the group from our class, with Cee Cee arriving shortly after. The other three people that made up our group consisted of Emily, who was super brainy, Scott, who kind of reminded me of my step-brother Brad, and Paul Slater. Paul transferred from a college in Seattle in September.

"How mad is it," Scott was saying as I walked over, "that we're spending New Year in Spain?"

His question was met with shouts from us and disapproving looks from the rest of the passengers waiting to board - which, I noticed, included the hot guy from earlier.

"Hey," I asked Cee Cee. "What seat number are you anyway?"

"Oh, yeah," she glanced at her boarding pass, reading through all of the information before she finally found her seat number. "I'm in 25C, you?"

"21A." My voice was sad.

How did our seats get so far away from each other? I wish we'd checked earlier, I could have changed it or something.

"Cee?" Adam asked. "You're in 25C?" At her nod, he continued. "I'm in 25B!"

Cee Cee put on a show of being annoyed at the prospect of spending thirteen hours - yeah, I know, long time to sit on a plane - next to Adam, but I could tell that she was happy really. They'd been edging towards a relationship recently.

Which meant there was no way either of them would swap with me.

So, it was slightly apprehensively that I walked through the narrow plane corridor, glancing at the seat numbers as I did so.

18, 19, 20 …

I found my seat - the window, my favourite - and sat down, waiting for a stranger to come and sit next to me.

I might get lucky, and be the only one sitting in this row. Or I might be cursed and be forced to spend the next half a day next to a bald, fat man with dorky glasses. Who smells. Ewww, please, no.

The aircraft was filling quickly, and there was still no one sitting next to me. I let myself relax and think over where I'd be staying when we arrived in Barcelona. All of us had been placed with 'host families'. Mine were called the De Silvas. I think Cee Cee was staying with the Diego's. I didn't know anyone else's. I hope my guys had a pool though.

My attention was pushed back to the present when I heard the sound of someone putting their on board luggage in the overhead compartment. My overhead compartment.

I looked over at said person hesitantly, only to be met with a view of a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. My breath caught in my throat. Could it be the guy from the departure lounge?

Finally, the guy's face came into view. I had to stop myself from squealing. It was him! I got to spend thirteen hours - hopefully, if we kept our same seats after the transfer in London - sitting next to, and possibly talking to, this amazingly hot guy.

I smiled politely when he sat down next to me and buckled himself in.

"Hey," I said giving him my hand to shake. "I'm Suze."

"Jesse." He smiled and shook my hand with laughter in his eyes, as if amused by my antics. "Suze? Short for -"

"Susannah," I interrupted him. "Susannah Simon."

"Pretty name." I blushed at the compliment. "My name's Hector - Jesse's a nickname. Hector de Silva."

Wait a minute, de Silva?

De Silva can't be that popular of a surname. I could be spending the next three months in a house with this guy. And I was excited at the thought of thirteen hours …

The air hostesses were going through the safety procedures, what to do in case of a crash. I knew I should pay attention really - I can never understand how to work the air float things - but, with Jesse de Silva next to me, and the possibility of spending three whole months in his house, I was slightly distracted.

It was going to be a long flight. I could tell, and we hadn't even taken off yet.


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N - Yes, I hate flashbacks too. This'll be the only one and I added a bit of Jesse/Suze at the end to make up for it.**

**And, Moondancing Millie isn't opposed to a bit of shameless advertising, considering how well it worked for me. Check out her new fic Daddy's Little Girl.**

**Finally, thank you to everybody who reviewed. I'm so glad you like the fic. :D**

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_England's first greatest author was a man by the name of Geoffrey Chaucer whose most famous work is a piece called __**'The Canterbury Tales' **__which is a collection of stories in a variety of genres, supposedly told by a group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. __**The Canterbury Tales **__are indebted to Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. With this piece of work, it was clear that the Renaissance was making its way to Britain._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon_

**Chapter 2**

_Four Months Earlier._

As if coming back to school, after three glorious months off for Summer, wasn't bad enough. You go from lounging around wherever - the mall, the pool, your apartment - to having to be in a classroom and working again. Well, you don't necessarily have to be in the classroom, but it's recommended if you want an education.

To put it lightly, I wasn't exactly happy to be back at college. I tolerated it only because my class started at two in the afternoon so I could still get my lie-in.

Nevertheless, ten minutes before the lecture was due to begin, I walked into the classroom with Cee Cee and Adam on either side of me and we took our seats.

I don't know why I made an effort to get here early - our Professor is always late. It's the one thing that we can rely on him for.

Bored, I let my eyes wander around the lecture hall, stopping when they landed on an unfamiliar face and were pierced by startling blue eyes.

I gasped. He smirked.

"Cee?" I asked, receiving an uninterested 'hmmm?' in response. "Who's that?"

Cee Cee followed my gaze.

"Oh." Cee Cee was always aware of anything new that happened around campus. Including new students. "New guy - Paul Slater. He transferred from Seattle. Why?"

"No reason." I muttered, thankful that the professor walked into the room at that moment.

He took a minute to put his briefcase on his desk and sort out a few papers, before turning around and looking a little bit shocked at how full his classroom was.

"Ah!" He announced finally, the word bouncing off the walls. "Welcome back to UCLA."

His greeting was returned by a few grunts of acknowledgment and the whoop of the one person who always took things too far.

"Now," the professor continued. "This year, your first assignment is quite a big one."

This time everyone groaned. See why I hate coming back to college? My first day and already they're giving me important tasks to do. My brain is still in Summer-mode.

"I want you to write an eight thousand word essay on a suitable topic of your choice."

Oh, that wasn't so bad. I used to hate it when teachers told me it was up to me what to write about but recently, since taking English, I was getting quite interested in Literature. Particularly European literature.

"I want you to choose carefully," his words barely registered in my mind. I'd already chosen my topic. "A few students that have chosen particular topics are going to be given the opportunity to spend a semester abroad, and study it there."

My head shot up. I was going to write about European Literature, does that mean I'll get to go to Europe? I could get to go to Paris!

"I want you to get thinking about this." His voice was lost of the buzz of voices coming from the students. "And I would like your essay topic by the end of the week at the latest. Those of you with the chance to go abroad will need to pay at least the deposit for the trip, if not the full amount, by October first."

He dismissed us shortly after, that being all he had to say for today. He advised us to visit the library to research our choices before confirming them to him as it would be contributing to a major part of our final grade.

"Can you believe it?" I asked my two best friends incredulously. "A trip abroad?!"

"That's if you choose a certain topic." Adam stated stoically.

I raised my eyebrow.

"I've chosen European Literature," I told them. "Reckon I have a shot?"

"Oh!" Adam exclaimed. "That might work - let's all choose it, then we might all get to go to Europe."

Cee Cee rolled her eyes.

"You guys are lucky I was planning on that topic anyway," she told us smothering a laugh. "I think that the history of French literature is particularly fascinating. Just think of the many great authors they've produced!"

I smiled.

"Yeah," I joked. "Like Victor Hugo. Without him, _Disney_ would have never given us the singing gargoyles."

"Yeah!" Cee Cee exclaimed whilst I held in my laugh. "Exactly!"

Cee Cee, who had never been slow, burst out laughing straight after, both of us unable to keep it in any longer.

We linked arms and walked towards the on campus coffee shop, Adam following on behind us confused, no doubt wondering how we got from French Literature to singing gargoyles.

---

It was the next week that the professor told us who he had decided to send where. There were six people who had chosen to write about European Literature in total. Mostly the students chose to write about the works produced here in good old America.

"The students that I am going to be sending abroad this year are, Emily Greene, Adam McTavish," when my professor said Adam's name my ears picked up. Adam and I had chosen the same topic after all. "Susannah Simon," Adam and I exchanged high-fives. "Paul Slater, Scott Turner and Cee Cee Webb."

My eyebrow flew up at Paul's name. We hadn't talked once, barely looked at each other since that first lesson. Hearing that Paul was going to be spending three months in Spain with us was … unexpected, to say the least.

Again, the lesson didn't last very long and Cee Cee, Adam and I walked out of the room talking excitedly.

We were going to Spain.

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_Present Day_

The plane had started to take off. The cabin crew were pointing to the emergency exits - my nearest one was behind me, thank you very much - even whilst the plane rolled along the runway to reach the strip of land that would take us into the air.

"Cabin crew," the pilot's voice crackled through the plane. "Please take your seats for take off."

I checked my seatbelt was still on, pulling it even tighter as I did.

"Nervous?" Jesse's voice sounded amused.

I smiled over at him.

"Not a bit."

I was such a liar. Take off was the worst part of a flight for me - considering the fact that I'd only been on a plane once.

The plane sped up as it raced down the runway, the sounds of the engine picking up as it did so. I kept my gaze solely on the seat in front of me. I couldn't see how fast we were going if I didn't look out of the window.

I felt a hand lay on top of my own which was clutching onto the armrest tightly, knuckles going white with the force. I looked up and found Jesse's dark brown eyes focused on me.

"It's okay, querida." He told me in a slightly Spanish tone, squeezing my hand the tiniest bit. "It's alright."

I nodded at his words, trying my hardest to drag my attention away from his lips.

"And hey," he was saying. "Once we reach our top altitude, I'll buy you a drink."

I laughed, barely noticing the fact that the plane had left the runway and that the land below me was fast growing smaller and smaller as we flew higher into the air.


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N - I wrote yawn way too many times in this chapter. So much, that it made me yawn. Lol. Thank you all so much for your reviews. And I hope you like this chapter. I liked writing it. It was fun.**

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_The next greatest milestone in the history of English Literature, I think, is the Elizabethan Era. The Elizabethan Era was a very violent age and, therefore, showing violence on the stage was probably more therapeutic for an Elizabethan spectator. This resulted in the production of plays, such as __**'The Spanish Tragedy' **__by Kyd which provided quite a bit of material for __**'Hamlet' **__by Shakespeare, who stands out in this period as a poet and a playwright as yet unparalleled._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon_

**Chapter 3**

Jesse stayed true to his promise of buying me a drink. As soon as the seatbelt sign flickered off - though I kept mine on - and the air hostesses began to patrol the cabin with the drinks cart, Jesse turned to me and asked what I would like.

"A shot of something strong?" He asked with a laugh. "That take-off looked like it took a lot out of you."

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Just a coke," I spoke quietly. "Thank you."

Jesse looked at me with a raised scarred eyebrow but placed my request anyway.

"So," he took a sip of the coffee he'd ordered. "Why did you choose to go to Spain?"

I smiled.

"I didn't," I took a sip of my can of coke and tried to look sophisticated. I should have ordered a black coffee, or something, to look more like a student. "My English professor sent a load of us out here to research a paper."

Jesse leaned almost imperceptibly towards me. I only noticed because I was watching his every move.

"Really?" He asked smoothly. "And what's this paper of yours on?"

"European Literature."

Jesse looked impressed and I inwardly jumped up and down happily. Talking about college always made me seem intelligent. I was glad I had a chance to show off in front of Jesse.

Though, if my suspicions were correct, I'd have many more chances over the next three months to show off in front of him.

"Why are you heading over to Spain, anyway?" I asked him.

His laughter instantly left his face.

"Family stuff," he replied somewhat cryptically. "They wanted me home."

I nodded, accepting both his answer, and the fact that he didn't want to talk about it.

"So, about your paper," he steered the conversation back over to me. "Why Barcelona?"

I shrugged.

"You'd have to ask my professor that." I paused before continuing. "I'm glad that it is Barcelona I'm going to though."

"And why's that?" His eyes were sparkling with mirth.

"Well, it's so cultural." I barely noticed the look he was giving me, too distracted by the thought of living in one of Spain's greatest cities for three whole months. "And so beautiful."

Silence reigned between us then and it was only some time later that I realised Jesse's gaze hadn't left my face.

"What?" I asked self consciously.

He snapped out of his daze.

"Nothing." Jesse shook his head and a small curl fell into his eyes. "It's just that, I've lived in Barcelona for a good portion of my life, and I've never looked at it the way you do. I spent so long trying to get away. I guess that, now, I wish I had stopped and appreciated it more."

The smile that hadn't left my face since he had first sat next to me - oh, alright, maybe that was a slight exaggeration - grew wider.

"Well," I offered flirtatiously. "Maybe while I'm here, you can show me around. That way, you get to appreciate everything all over again."

He smiled at me and turned to lay his head back on his seat. 

"Maybe I'll take you up on that."

Jesse shut his eyes and yawned.

"Sorry," he apologised. "I don't mean to be rude - I got up early this morning."

"Don't worry about it," I told him, turning to look out of the window. "I did too."

He smiled again, his eyes still shut.

"Another thing," Jesse began, opening his eyes and looking over at me, his head lolling on its side. "Where are you staying, when you get over there?"

At the look I gave him - which must have been something between startled and surprised - he explained the reasoning behind his question.

"It's just that my family have agreed to 'host' a student from America." He yawned again and apologised before continuing. "I was just wondering if it was you. If it isn't, you'd probably know who it is, right?"

"Well," I held back a yawn of my own. It was true what they say about watching people yawn making you yawn. Or something like that. My mind was fuzzy with my own fatigue. "I'm staying with the de Silva's. Have you heard of them?"

Jesse smiled.

"Funnily enough, I have."

I laughed.

"Looks like I get three whole months with you." I added, successfully hiding my excitement.

"Looks like." His eyes fell shut again.

"I'm sorry about this." He spoke quietly, tiredness weighing down his words. "I'm just really tired and this is a really long flight."

"Yeah," I agreed. "I'm tired too, don't worry. Sleep away."

He laughed before falling silent. Not two minutes later I heard his breathing even out and a faint snore occasionally. He was asleep, leaving me alone with the freedom to appraise him without freaking him out.

He really was amazingly good looking. Tall and tanned. His hair was dark - almost black - and curly. His eyes, which I obviously couldn't see now but remembered vividly just the same, were as dark and as black as ink. I know he said he'd lived in Barcelona for a good portion of his life, but his accent suggested he'd lived in America just as long as, if not longer, than he had in Spain.

He was dressed casually - not surprising considering the length of the flight. It's not like he would dress up in a suit, though that is something worth thinking about - in a pair of Levi jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and unbuttoned just enough to reveal his six-pack.

After I felt I'd stared at him too long - and that anybody who saw me would probably think me a freak, or a pervert, or something - I let my eyes drift to find out what was playing as the in-flight movie. It was a recent children's movie, which wouldn't really keep me entertained.

I let my eyes fall shut as my head rested against the wall of the plane, the shutter on the window down to prevent the sunlight streaming in.

Sleep came quickly, but not so quickly that I didn't remember turning to try and find a more comfortable position - which just happened to be Jesse's shoulder. My head rested just below his, tucked into his neck. Then I fell asleep.

---

When I woke up, the confusion that came with waking up in an unfamiliar place engulfed me. It took me a while to remember that I was on a plane, heading to Barcelona - well, Heathrow first of all - and that I had fallen asleep on the shoulder of the person sleeping next to me. And hadn't moved away from him yet.

I jumped away from Jesse with a jolt, hoping against hope that he was still asleep, and hadn't realised that I had just spent the last hour or two snuggled up to him.

When I saw him looking down at me with a grin on his face, I knew I had no such luck.

"Nice sleep?" He asked me politely.

I blushed and opened the shutter, looking down to find myself looking at an ocean - which, I could only assume, was the Atlantic. I must have slept longer than I'd thought. I knew that the flight from New York to California took about five hours at least.

"Oh, yeah," I stuttered. "You?"

"Yeah." He grinned widely. "Very relaxing. I woke up around an hour ago, in time to catch the beginning of this show."

He gestured towards the screen in front of him.

I swallowed and almost choked on my spit.

"You woke up an hour ago?" I asked incredulously. "Why didn't you wake me up? I could have drooled all over you!"

Jesse frowned.

"Now that you mention it, my shoulder is kind of damp."

Colour rushed to my cheeks, causing them to go, I'm sure, bright red. Like a tomato.

Jesse's charade was revealed when he burst out laughing.

"I'm kidding," he managed to choke out between laughs. He was laughing so hard, people were starting to look at him funny. "You didn't drool."

He waited for his laughter to die down before he spoke again.

"I didn't want to wake you up. You looked too peaceful."

I refused to look at him and kept my gaze on the sea that was thousands of feet beneath me.

"Oh, come on Susannah. It was a joke." His voice was like liquid. And, it was the first time that he'd said my name. That alone made my heart flip inside of my chest.

It was hard to stay mad at him when just the sound of my name coming from his lips, in his voice, made me feel like that.

"Okay," I told him, hiding a smile. "I forgive you."

"Thank god," he joked. "There's another five or so hours until we reach Heathrow. We can't ignore each other for that long."

I laughed.

"No, we can't," I agreed. "I think I'd go mad not having anybody to talk to."

"Well, we can't have that," he countered. "You're too pretty to be insane."

I blushed - something that seemed to be happening a lot around Jesse - and steered the conversation in another direction.

"So, what do you do for a living, Mr. De Silva?" I asked.

He laughed.

"Don't call me Mr. De Silva, that's my dad." He smiled. "I'm just Jesse. Jesse the journalist."

"You're a journalist?!"

Jesse nodded, which launched me into a monologue about how I'd wanted to be a journalist since I was thirteen.

I'm actually glad Cee Cee and Adam got those seats next to each other, otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here talking to the best looking guy on this entire plane about one of my most favourite things - writing.

The conversation between us flowed effortlessly, and all too soon, the seatbelt sign flickered on again. Jesse clutched my hand and squeezed reassuringly, already knowing how scared I could get, as the plane started its descent into Heathrow Airport, London.


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N - Please don't kill me. It was hard enough to write. Now you know why my update wasn't as quick as it normally is. Well, when you reach the end of this chapter you will. On the other hand, it's over 2000 words. Go me. :D**

**This can go out to Emily - who has put up with a lot from me today. I wouldn't stop talking about Adam Pascal from RENT.**

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_William Shakespeare was a very gifted and versatile writer. He probably only had some grammar school education, compared to the other writers of his day who would have been to university and thoroughly educated. Despite this, Shakespeare surpassed the 'professionals' of the age. Though most of his work was met with great success, his most famous plays were written in his later years. Some examples include : **'Hamlet', 'Romeo and Juliet' **and** 'King Lear'**._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon_

**Chapter 4**

How much does it suck, that I'm in London - London! - for possibly the first and only time in my life, and I'm stuck inside of Heathrow airport? Yeah, a lot. And to make it worse? Jesse and I got separated in the whole getting off the plane thing. I don't know why we couldn't have just stayed on. It was only refuelling.

Our suitcases weren't going to get off the plane. Why should we?

I wasn't happy, to say the least. I was sat, once again, in the departure lounge with my arms crossed and a pout on my lips, refusing to talk to anyone, like I'd been doing for the past ten minutes.

Not even Cee Cee and Adam. Despite how much they tried to get me to talk.

"Come on Suze!" Cee Cee tried to enthuse me. "We're in London. The United Kingdom!"

"It's not like we can leave the airport," Adam muttered, earning a slap on the shoulder from Cee Cee. "What? It's true."

"Shut up, Adam." Cee Cee hissed. Their exchange almost made me laugh.

But I was stubbornly remaining silent.

"Hey, Suze!" Cee Cee tried again. "It's that hot guy from California."

My head picked up, looking desperately for Jesse.

"Guess he was on our flight after all." She finished.

Which proved how much attention she paid to me on the flight. I don't care if I was four rows behind them. It could still be done.

"Where?" I asked, finally speaking when I couldn't find him.

"Ha!" Cee Cee shouted. "Got you to talk."

My mouth fell open. That was so unfair. I turned to face Cee Cee and Adam - who was looking a bit confused, considering he had no idea who this guy was - and opened my mouth to tell them off.

At least that was the plan. I discarded it as soon as I saw Jesse over Adam's shoulder. I felt a smile crack my face as I saw him wave me over and left my best friends without another word.

"Hey," I greeted coolly. "Having fun here in England?"

Jesse laughed.

"Oh yeah," he joked. "Heathrow is the highlight of the trip. I'm quite fond of Gatwick Airport myself, but Heathrow has its charms."

"You've been to England before?" I asked as we moved to find some seats.

"Yeah," he admitted. "A few times when I was growing up."

"Wow." I smiled at him. "I wish I was as well-travelled as you. I've only ever been to New York and California."

"London was the only place I went to as a child, you know." He told me. I could see Cee Cee looking at me in shock out of the corner of my eye. "I lived in Barcelona and now I live in California. That's all I've been to."

I nodded.

Before any of us could say anything else, the call for our flight to re-board crackled over the speakers.

"That's us." I said before mentally wincing. I think he kind of knew that it was our flight, before I told him.

"Thanks." He said, making me smile. "I never would've gotten it otherwise. See you on board."

I nodded again and walked back over to Cee Cee and Adam to collect my hand luggage, which didn't consist of much. A notebook - which I'd already started my essay in - and a few pens was pretty much it.

"Suze," Adam began, putting his arm around my shoulder while Cee Cee walked next to my other side. "Cee and I were talking -"

"And we came to a decision." My boarding pass was snatched out of my hand.

"Hey!" I protested.

"Adam is going to sit in your seat." Cee Cee announced, passing my card over to Adam.

"And you are going to sit next to Cee Cee," Adam shrugged. "We thought it only fair, considering you were on your own for the trip here."

"No, guys," I tried to get my boarding pass back out of Adam's hands. "It's really okay. I _like_ my seat."

By now, we already on the aeroplane. Cee Cee walked to her seat by the window, pulling me in behind her to sit in the middle seat while Adam walked four rows back and stole my seat.

"Cee Cee!" I whined.

"There's no point in complaining," she stated. "You're not getting out now."

"What do you mean?"

Cee Cee pointed to the person who had taken the aisle seat.

"Paul is my bouncer. He's there to make sure you don't try to leave."

I turned to face Paul Slater with an expression of horror on my face. Darn it! She'd thought of everything.

"What happens if I need to go to toilet?" I asked. "Really, really badly?"

Cee Cee raised any eyebrow.

"Oh, please," She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the British newspaper she'd bought. A souvenir she said it was. "You went, like, twice in the airport."

I resumed my 'moody' pose from earlier and crossed my arms, hung my head and refused to talk to anybody.

"I don't know why you don't want to sit by me so badly." She carried on. "It's only two hours. We've had lectures longer then that which you didn't mind sitting next to me during."

"It's not you, Cee," I told her. There was no way I was going to be able to not talk for the next two hours. Like I told Jesse, I'd go insane. "Remember the guy from the airport?"

Cee Cee nodded.

"I was sitting next to him," I admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

"It's not like I didn't try!"

"Girls," Paul interrupted the beginning of our argument. "Not to sound like I was eavesdropping or anything, but, it would look a bit suspicious if you went up to Adam and demanded that you switch, wouldn't it?"

Damn Paul Slater. He had a point. I was forced to stay in this stupid seat, between people I already knew - neither of which I had a crush on - for the next two hours.

My heartbeat began to race when the speed of the plane began to pick up. Take-off. Again. Only this time I didn't have Jesse to calm me down, and neither of my partners were aware of how scared I could get.

I forced myself to look at the seat in front of me and didn't dare let my eyes stray. My fingers gripped the armrests and I took deep breaths, focusing on that more then anything else.

I jumped when I felt a warm, large hand settle on my own.

"It's okay," Paul said. "We're in the air now."

Sure enough, the seatbelt signed pinged off. I snatched my hand out from under Paul's and crossed my arms.

"Thanks," I muttered.

Paul looked at me a bit longer before returning his attention to the book he'd brought with him. Considering Cee Cee's nose was stuck in the newspaper - and, if not, her pen was scribbling in her notebook - it looked like I was truly alone for the whole journey.

It was times like this that I hated both of my best friends.

----

Landing was worse than take-off was. Purely because Paul had caught on how nervous they made me and insisted on holding my hand throughout the entirety of it. His hand was cold and clammy - compared to Jesse's warm and hot grip that had been around my own not three hours before.

By the time I got off the plane, I was annoyed and exhausted. Our flight had left at eleven that morning back in L.A. The journey was thirteen hours so it should be midnight-ish back home in California. It was way too sunny for it to be midnight here in Barcelona. My guess had been confirmed when the captain had very kindly told us that the local time was nine a.m.

I swung my hand luggage onto my back and made my way to baggage claim, ignoring both Cee Cee and Adam who were shouting after me.

"Suze!" Adam's voice cried again. "Listen! That guy I sat next to wanted me to tell you something."

I stopped and turned to face him.

"What?" I asked excitedly.

"He said he'd meet you out front." Adam's eyes narrowed. "What's that about anyway, Suze? What about your host family?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Jesse is a member of my host family," I told them. "Jesse de Silva. I'm staying with the De Silva's, remember?"

They were both stunned.

"Wow," Cee Cee muttered. "Big coincidence."

"Yes," I told her, grabbing her hand and walking to baggage claim even quicker. I was not going to waste part of my three months with Jesse because I had missed my suitcase. "I know."

"Geez," Cee Cee complained. "Calm down. He wasn't _that_ good looking."

I refused to answer her.

"Hey, you." Jesse's now familiar voice sounded from behind me as I spotted my suitcase come trundling around the corner, on top of the conveyer belt.

"Hey." I muttered distractedly, readying myself to reach for it.

Jesse laughed and picked it up easily, when he realised what suitcase I was going for. Let me tell you, last time I checked, that case was very heavy. _Very _heavy.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

I nodded. We'd been told that a member of one of our host family's were going to be meeting us at the airport. I'd met mine on the flight, so I was free to go.

"Just let me say goodbye to my friends."

Jesse nodded his consent and I turned to try and find Cee Cee and Adam, waving as I noticed them. I didn't need to talk to them, not really. We were meeting up later tonight anyway.

"All set." I told Jesse with a smile.

I pulled my suitcase along behind me and followed Jesse out of the unfamiliar airport. I almost ran into him when he stopped suddenly.

"Jesse?" I asked him.

He didn't answer me. His face paled visibly. I could tell and I was behind him. He'd obviously seen something he wasn't happy about.

"Maria?" His voice was raw, scratchy. "What are you doing here?"

He spoke to an unbelievably attractive woman, She was tanned and had black, curly hair that was tied back in a simple ponytail. Every item of clothing on her screamed designer.

"Your mother sent me here to pick up both you and some American that she's hosting for three months." The woman I could only assume was Maria answered.

"Um," I interrupted. "That would be me. I'm the American."

Jesse remained frozen as Maria looked me up and down condescendingly.

"Charming." She stated, unimpressed, as she look at me from over her sunglasses - designer, of course - before pushing them back up on her nose, uninterestedly.

"Well?" She demanded of Jesse. "Aren't you going to greet your fiancée properly?"

_Fiancée?!?!_

Jesse shook out of his … whatever he'd been in and slipped an easy smile on his face.

"Of course." I noticed a muscle ticking in his jaw. I only caught it because I was standing behind him.

I was too shaken to speak - or move - as I watched Jesse stride over to Maria, wrap his fingers in her dark curls, and kiss her. Thoroughly.

Just when I thought it couldn't possibly get worse, I saw Maria bring up her own hand to wrap around Jesse's back and I was faced with the biggest engagement ring I'd ever seen before in my life.

Of course Jesse would have a girlfriend - look at him. I was just stupid enough to think he actually liked me.

Blinking back tears, I raised my head, grabbed my suitcase and began pulling it out of the airport, leaving the sight of Jesse kissing his fiancée behind me. The only downside was that I couldn't actually go anywhere. Maria was supposed to be taking me to the de Silva household.

Suddenly, three months in the same house as Jesse wasn't sounding so good.


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N - Hey guys. Here's the next chapter. With no more Maria/Jesse - Thank god. I have another story up as well, in case anyone hasn't seen it yet. Hope you all like this. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Love you all. Lol.**

* * *

_After Shakespeare's death in 1616, the poet and dramatist Ben Jonson was the leading literary figure of the Jacobean era (The reign of James I). However, Jonson's style of writing is more reminiscent of the Middle Ages than the Tudor Era ; his characters represent the theory of humors. This means that Jonson's characters were based upon a contemporary medical theory and his characters would either be courageous, easily angered, downhearted or calm and unemotional. These 'humors' correspond with the four elements of the universe : air, water, fire and earth._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon._

**Chapter 5**

It turned out that the De Silva's didn't live too far away from the airport, so I didn't have to spend too long in the backseat of a flashy convertible while Jesse and Maria were living it up in the front seats.

I can't believe Jesse didn't tell me that he was engaged. It was kind of a big thing to keep secret.

I stayed silent in the back of the car, ignoring even Jesse when he talked to me, pretending that the rush of the wind was drowning him out. I was still in shock over the whole thing. Jesse was _engaged_. As in, going to be married and therefore unavailable to everybody else.

I don't know what made this Maria girl so special. Well, apart from how pretty she was, because, and I hated to admit it, Maria really was beautiful.

The car glided to a stop and Maria got out of the car, slamming the door behind her and jolting me back to what was happening. Mainly, I was about to meet my housemates - for lack of a better word - for the next three months.

Jesse wasn't in such a hurry to get away from the car and he climbed out slowly before turning around and letting me out.

"Thanks," I mumbled to him as I stumbled out of the car clutching my suitcase awkwardly due to how heavy it was.

Bye-bye first impressions. I'd already messed mine up.

"Susannah," Jesse took my suitcase away from me, leaving only my hand luggage bag hanging over my shoulder. "This is my family."

I smiled at them and offered a small, nervous wave.

"This is _mi madre_," Jesse introduced, gesturing towards a kind looking lady on the far left. "_Mi padre_, my eldest sister, Marta, then there is Josefina and Mercedes."

As Jesse pointed out each sister to me I nodded, smiled and said hello, still a bit nervous about imposing on them.

"_Hola_ Susannah," Jesse's mother came over to talk to me as her husband took my suitcase away from Jesse and left to enter the house. "I imagine that flight must have been horrible for you."

I nodded sheepishly, restraining a yawn.

"Well," she carried on with a smile on her face. "You better get to sleep before the youngest two come home. They've been making such a fuss! Can't wait to meet you."

It touched me that they were all so excited to meet me.

"Thank you," I told them. "I'm sorry for going to sleep on you though."

"Don't worry about it," the sister Jesse had introduced as Mercedes walked over to me. "I'll show you to your room. You'll be sharing with me, if that's okay."

"It's fine."

Well, it's not like I was going to say anything else was it? I may be tired but I still had manners.

"So, Susannah, was it?" Mercedes asked as she pointed at the bed that was designated for me.

"Yeah," I replied sitting on the bed and looking around at my surroundings. Mercedes was really pretty - prettier even, then Maria - as was the other two sisters that I'd met already. Though, no doubt, the other two were just as beautiful as their older siblings. "Though I prefer Suze. For some reason, your brother refuses to call me that."

Mercedes laughed.

"Yeah, Jesse can get like that sometimes." She admitted as she fussed about the room, trying to make things more at home for me.

"You don't have to do any of that," I told her when I saw her making sure that there was a glass of water on the bedside table. "I'm alright."

Mercedes shrugged.

"I like to," she told me. "The only visitors we get normally are relatives and they're no fun to have around."

"What about Maria?" I asked trying to sound casual.

"She's okay, I suppose." Mercedes caught me yawning - something I'd tried to hide in order to get more out of her. "But you're tired. We can talk more later. Night Suze."

I laughed. The sun was clearly shining happily outside the drawn curtains.

"Night."

She switched off the lights as she shut the door behind her and left the room. I fell asleep just as I felt the pillow rest under my head.

----

I was woken up, hours later, by Jesse. He was sitting on the edge of the bed gently shaking my shoulder.

"Susannah," he whispered. "You should get up before Abegail and Rosita decide to wake you up. They'll jump on the bed."

I sat up quickly, causing the room to spin.

"I'm up," I whispered hoarsely. I coughed to clear my throat before continuing. "I'm up."

I got out of the bed on the side that Jesse wasn't sitting on, ignoring him.

He sighed.

"I know you're mad at me," he began.

"Mad?" I interrupted. "Why would I be mad?"

I was so glad I had fallen asleep in my travel clothes. This way Jesse wouldn't see me in my pyjamas. Only, now I had to get changed out of them, and into something more formal. Or dressy, at least.

"Because of Maria." Jesse stated simply.

I shrugged, trying not to show him how upset I was.

"I'm not mad," I lied. "Why should you have told me you were engaged? It's not like it came up in conversation."

"Yet," he insisted. "You've refused to look at me since you woke up."

My eyes shut in frustration as I turned to face him, opening them and staring him straight in the eyes.

"I'm not mad," I repeated. Which wasn't a lie. I was more sad.

"Susannah." Jesse stood up and raised both of his hands to grip my upper arm lightly. "I should have told you about Maria. It's just that … She …"

He stopped to take a breath as he locked his eye on mine.

"I do-" Jesse was cut off as two black haired girls bounded into the room.

"Suzie, Suzie!" They screamed happily, each grabbing one of my legs.

Normally I hated it when anyone but my mom called me Suzie, but who could hate six-year-old twins saying it in unison?

"Suzie!" One of them tugged on my trouser leg to get my attention. "Mama says you're staying here for a while."

"I am." I told Jesse's little sister.

"It'll be like having another sister!" The other one exclaimed.

Jesse - who had just been stood back watching the three of us with a grin on his face - reached down to pick up the girl that had spoken last.

"Haven't you got enough sisters, Rosie?" He tickled her causing her to giggle loudly.

That must be Rosita, leaving Abegail, who was apparently more shy than her twin sister watching her brother as he attacked Rosita's sides.

"Okay," Rosita breathed out. "Okay, I have enough sisters."

Jesse let her back down on the floor, instead picking up Abegail who'd held up her arms to him.

"But Suzie can be our friend," Rosita announced happily gesturing for me to pick her up. Which I did. "You can never have too many friends."

Jesse laughed.

"No," he admitted looking at me. "You can't."

"Will you be our friend Suzie?" Abegail quietly asked from her brothers arms.

"Of course I will!" I exclaimed, faking shock that they'd even asked me the question. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Maria isn't." Rosita told me. "She doesn't like us very much."

My eyes widened.

"Yes, she does _mi hermana más pequeña_," Jesse told her before quickly changing the subject. "We should go now, and let 'Suzie' get changed."

Jesse smirked at me when he said my new nickname and then left the bedroom with his two sisters.

I was still in shock. There was no doubt in my mind that what Rosita had said was true. Maria would probably throw a diva-fit if one of the twins so much as touched her.

There was more to this engagement thing then I was being told. Jesse didn't seem very happy with the idea, and his sisters weren't exactly jumping for joy either.

I was going to get to the bottom of this.


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N - Hey guys, sorry for the delay. I'd like to think this chapter is worth it though. What I've named the club is pretty much for Moondancing Mille - and I hope she understands the reference. For Spanish speakers, I don't really want to call a club that. That would be strange. Lol.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

_As well as Shakespeare - who was the most notable poet of in the early 1600's - another major poet was a man who was called John Donne. Donne was influenced by the continental Baroque and created poetry around 'un-poetic' figures, such as a compass. Personally, I think it clever in the way that Donne used the centre point of a compass to symbolise a woman waiting at home and the farther point being her lover sailing away from her. The larger the distance, the more the hands of the compass point together, leaving the message of the poem to be : separation makes the heart grow fonder._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon_

**Chapter 6**

Dinner that night had been quite extravagant, Mrs de Silva having gone out of her way to produce me with a wide range of traditional Spanish foods. Including seafood _paella_ - which I was hesitant to try. I just ate the rice around the prawns, it was good enough.

"Thank you," I spoke sincerely after I'd eaten as much as I could. "That was lovely."

I stood up, taking my plate with me and making to collect those who had also finished to take to the kitchen.

"No!" Everyone at the table was shocked, bar Jesse who was smirking as if he'd just been told a great joke. Had I just committed some big Spanish _faux pas_? Do you not take plates into the kitchen when you're finished with them.

I froze where I stood, looking, I'm sure, like a deer caught in headlights.

"You're a guest!" Jesse's mom explained. "You shouldn't have to do that."

Oh, phew. That was all.

"Oh," I continued to collect the plates. "It's no big, I grew up doing this all the time. It's the least I can do, considering you're letting me stay here."

Jesse chuckled to himself and stood up, picking up his own plate.

"I'll help you, querida." He told me.

Rosita and Abegail giggled to each other, Mrs. De Silva's eyes widened and Mr. De Silva looked at Jesse disapprovingly.

"What?" I broke the silence that had encompassed the table after Jesse spoke. "Did I miss something?"

"He called you _querida_!" Rosie sing-songed, causing a slight blush to grace Jesse's cheeks. Jesse was blushing!

Josefina slapped a hand over her sister's mouth and smiled apologetically at me.

I shrugged and smiled at the family before going into the kitchen and began to wash up, Jesse following along behind me,

"You know," he gestured towards an appliance with his hand. "We do have dishwashers here in Spain."

He pulled open said item with a flourish.

"We're not completely stone-aged." He joked.

"Sorry," I was blushing now. "Back in the dorms, I don't have one. It's habit."

Jesse smiled understandingly.

"Don't worry," he told me, loading up the dishwasher. "For the next three months your nails needn't get dirty."

I glared at him as I passed him with another plate.

"Ha ha." I stated dryly.

Jesse only smiled and loaded the last dish in the tray before turning to me and bowing mockingly.

"And we're finished. Much quicker, don't you think?"

I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to the toaster to check my hair wasn't messed up.

"You know, we have mirrors too." Jesse's voice came from behind me.

I turned to look at him.

"I know," I smoothed down my clothes and grabbed the bag that I'd left in the hallway, knowing without checking that Jesse had followed. "But I'm going out."

Jesse's face instantly became serious.

"With who?" He demanded. "You don't know anyone here."

I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Um," I reminded him. "No one, except for the five people I came with? We all agreed to meet up tonight at a bar."

"Oh?" Jesse's eyebrow lifted and his smile was back in place. "What bar?"

Shoot. I couldn't remember it. Cee Cee had pointed it out on the map of the area to me. One that we'd had for months and had arrived in the first pack of details for this trip. It was circled in red pen on my map upstairs. I could see it lying on my bed. But I couldn't see the name of the place.

"La Cucha?" I tried.

Jesse laughed and grabbed his jacket.

"La Cucaracha," he corrected, pulling the jacket on over his light blue shirt, which was, again, unbuttoned halfway. "I'll take you there. Come on."

Jesse called out to his mom in Spanish and waited for her reply before leading me out of the door.

"What was that about?" I asked, falling in to step beside him.

"I told her we were going out," he explained. I'd already done that! "She said don't come back too late."

I nodded and looked around the sights of Barcelona city as we walked towards the bar I was supposed to meet my friends at.

"What are you planning to see when you're here?" Jesse asked, breaking the silence. I couldn't be mad at him though. His voice only made it better.

"Well, that's up to you," I reminded him. "Tour guide."

He smiled sadly.

I bit my lip, cursing myself. Of course. Maria. How could I have forgotten about her?

"Yeah," he joked. "And I'm sure the place at the top of your list is FC Barcelona."

My nose wrinkled.

"Is that that soccer club?" I asked making Jesse laugh.

"Yeah," he replied easily. "That's the one."

"No, thanks." I told him, shivering a little. Nights are cold here, evidently.

Jesse started to shrug out of his jacket, wanting to put it around my shoulders. However much I would have loved for him to do that, I stopped him. He's engaged. He can't be giving other girls his jacket.

"No," I wrapped my arms around my body. "It's okay. I can see the bar, already. We're almost there."

'La Cucaracha' stood out boldly against the black sky in neon colours.

Jesse nodded in acceptance and the next minute was passed in silence as we approached the club. He held the door open for me and I thanked him quietly, ducking in under his arm.

"Do you want a drink?" He asked. "It's probably best I get them, considering you can't speak Spanish."

"I can learn!" I pouted before sighing and giving up. "Diet coke."

He rolled his eyes at my request, turning away and muttering '_mujeres_' under his breath. I glared at his back. He better not be calling me something nasty …

"Suze!" I heard a familiar male voice call out to me. "Hey! You found it, finally."

I smiled at Paul.

"Yeah, with my very own tour guide too." I gestured towards the bar where Jesse was standing. Paul's eyes narrowed.

"So I see." He stated, shaking his head and smiling at me again. Strange. "Want to dance? Cee Cee and Adam are out there. I think Emily and Scott want to be alone at the table."

I nodded quickly and took his hand as he pushed his way onto the dance floor.

It was just my luck that a slow song started just as Paul and I found a spot to dance.

Paul only shrugged and placed his arms around my waist. I gingerly placed mine on his shoulders. This felt strange, to be dancing like this with Paul Slater of all people. It sent shivers through me.

"Who're you staying with?" I asked him, in an attempt to be polite.

"De Silva's." He told me making me stop in confusion.

"The de Silva's?" I checked.

"Yeah," he began dancing again even though I was barely moving in response. "No one showed at the airport to collect me though. I had to call a cab."

"I'm staying with the de Silva's." I said quietly.

Paul looked at me with a smile.

"That would be where they made the mistake." He stated. "When I arrived by cab, they apologised _a lot_. They said their daughter, Maria, had gotten it mixed up, and took you to your house, instead of me to mine."

I blinked not understanding any of this. Maria _de Silva_? Isn't that, like, illegal, or something?

A warm hand clamped down on my shoulder.

"Can I cut in?"

Paul stepped back with his hands in the air as he let Jesse take his place. When Jesse's arms wrapped around my waist where Paul's had once been, it sent good shivers down my spine. Nothing like what Paul's touch had done.

I looked up at Jesse's face as I placed my hands around his neck. He didn't look very happy. Though I couldn't understand why. I'd only danced with Paul.

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning on dancing?" He asked harshly. "I got worried when I couldn't find you. And then I see you dancing with _him_."

Oh no. Jesse did not get to play the jealousy card on me. Not when he was engaged. To a family member, it appeared.

"Oh, I don't know," I shrugged innocently. "Paul told me some interesting things. It turns out he's staying at a de Silva residence as well." Jesse grip momentarily tightened around me. "Maria's, to be exact."

Jesse's face paled, almost as much as it had in the airport earlier that day. God, I'd only arrived today. It seemed like ages ago.

"When were you planning on telling me?" I demanded.

"Telling you what?" He choked out.

"Well, one, that you were engaged - that I had to find out for myself." I pulled myself out of Jesse's arms. "Two, that Maria is you're cousin, or something."

"She's not my cousin," Jesse interrupted. "She's my dad's cousin's daughter. It's legal."

"How great for you," I rolled my eyes. "And, finally, why do your sisters think Maria doesn't like them? Who can not like them?"

Jesse closed his eyes.

"Maria isn't very good with children," he defended.

"Right." I walked away from Jesse without another word.

I marched right up to the table where I found my fellow Americans sitting at and grabbed Cee Cee to drag her to the toilets with me for some girl talk.

I was looking around for the bathroom sign - though it's not like I would even understand it - when I felt Jesse's hand ease Cee Cee's hand out of my grip and instead hold mine in his own.

"Susannah," he pleaded with me. "We need to talk about this."

"I don't see why," I replied. "I'm just a girl you met on the plane. I'm nothing to you."

Saying the words out loud only made it worse to hear.

"You know that's not true." Jesse's voice was laced with emotion.

"Uh," I pulled my hand out of his. "Yes. It is. Especially considering you're enga-"

I was cut off when Jesse's hands gripped my upper arms and pulled me closer to him, his lips silencing anything else I tried to say.

I meant to stop him. I really did. He was getting married. I did not want to be a home wrecker. Only, the part of me that was screaming 'Jesse is kissing you! Kiss him back' was the stronger part of me in that moment.

And, uncaring of the consequences, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN - Hey guys, sorry about the delay. I've been kind of stuck with this fic. But I know where its going now. Thank god - I love writing this way too much for it to be put on hold. I know what's in the next chapter, so it should be up soonish. I hope.**

**Hope you like this anyway. Thanks for all your reviews. It's so cool hearing how much you all like this fic.**

* * *

_It is impossible to satisfactorily to date the beginning of the English novel. However, long fiction and fictional biographies began to distinguish themselves from the other forms in England during the restoration period. An existing tradition of __**Romance**__ fiction in France and Spain was popular in England. __**Romance **__was considered a feminine type of literature and was read by woman either in French, or in a translation from French. One of the most significant figures in this period is Aphra Behn who was not only the first professional female novelist, but she may also be among the first professional novelist of either gender in England. Her most famous novel was __**'Oroonoko' **__in 1688 and is a biography of a fictional African king who had been enslaved._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon._

**Chapter 7**

Jesse was a way better kisser than any of the others boys I'd kissed - of which, there wasn't as many as I'd like to admit.

The way he held me made me feel protected and wanted. And the longer he kissed me, the more I felt the guilt inside of me well up. Finally, I pulled away from him - something I should have done the second that his lips had touched mine.

"Susannah?" Jesse asked confusedly.

"You're engaged, Jesse." I reminded him.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before bringing his fingers up to run through his hair in agitation.

"Susannah, you should know," he began. "I don't love Maria. This engagement is entirely my father's idea. He's greedy, my father is. My marriage to Maria will consolidate all of his business plans with his cousin. It will join their two businesses together into a massive corporation. My father would never talk to me again if this marriage fell through."

I took another step backwards.

"That may be true," I said.

"It is." Jesse interrupted.

"Okay, so it's true," I corrected myself. "But it doesn't change anything. You're still engaged to her, even if you don't want to be."

"Querida." He began walking towards me again, only stopping when I held up my hand and stepped backwards.

"I'm sorry, Jesse." I felt tears stinging my eyes, though I was determined not to cry. "I'll see you back at home."

I couldn't bring myself to look at Jesse's face. I was pretty sure that it would have me caving instantly. And I was not going to give in. I am not going to be the other woman.

I turned my back on him and began walking away.

"What do you mean 'I'll see you back at home'?" He persisted from behind me. "I'll walk back with you."

"I can't Jesse." I shook my head, still looking down at the floor.

"You are not walking back alone - you don't know the way!" He protested.

"I'll catch a cab." I offered.

"You can't," he objected. "Not on your own."

I shrugged.

"I'll go with Paul."

Jesse froze. I saw his fists clenching at his sides.

"Susannah," Jesse spoke quietly. "I wont make you go home with me - if that's what you really want." I nodded prompting him to continue. "Just, don't go with Paul."

"Why?" I challenged. "He's staying nearby."

"Susannah," I finally raised my gaze to his own. His deep brown eyes were wide and filled with hurt. I winced at being the person who'd done that to him. Even if he had brought some of it upon himself. "Please."

I nodded my head the tiniest bit and walked past him without another word towards the table that my friends were sitting at.

I ran into a wide, solid chest, the owner of which raising his hands to steady me. And then shake me slightly.

"Suze," Paul exclaimed staring at me in horror. "What the hell were you doing? Kissing de Silva! He's engaged!"

"I know!" I snapped pushing him away from me.

Boy, did I know. It was the one piece of information that was going to be killing me for at least three months. Watching the two of them together. Making wedding plans. I shut my eyes which only served to make the images stronger.

"Are you okay, Suze?" Paul asked worriedly.

"I just want to go back." I whispered, forgetting who I was talking to. And, in effect, the promise I'd made to Jesse.

I didn't know whether I was talking about back to the de Silva house, or back home to California.

"I'll take you." He told me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

The contact jolted me out of my self-pity and I tried to think of a way to let down Paul without flat-out saying no.

"I'm just going to go and talk to Cee Cee." I told him. "I'll be right back."

Paul nodded and began guiding me through the mass of people that separated us from the table. Which was gentlemanly, sure, but not good considering I'd planned on ditching him on my way to the table.

I found Cee Cee with the others all looking at me in surprise. Oh, please God, tell me they didn't see the kiss. Please, please, please.

"Care to tell me what that was about?" Cee Cee asked, raising her eyebrow in question.

"Yeah, I will," I dug my hands in the pockets of my jeans. "In the bathroom."

Cee Cee rolled her eyes and led me towards the back of the bar and through a door with a stick woman on the front.

"So?" She prompted.

"Well, remember Jesse?" I asked.

"The guy from the plane." She nodded her remembrance.

"Right," I took a deep breath. "Well, you know that I'm living with him. But, he's engaged."

Cee Cee's eyes were bulging after I'd filled her in on everything. Or, almost everything anyway.

"So, what happened after he caught up with you again? When you were with me?" She wanted to know.

I blushed.

"Well, we kind of kissed." I admitted.

"Suze!"

"I know, I know." I wrapped my arms around myself. "I'm not proud of it."

"What are you going to do?"

There in lies the question.

I had no idea. I had to stick out three months with the guy of my dreams while he went about planning a wedding for him and the woman he didn't love.

"I'd ask you to spend the night with me," Cee Cee offered. "You know, just to get away from everything. But the guy who's house I'm living in is kind of creepy. Felix Diego."

I smiled.

"Thanks," I told her. "But, anyway, it's my first night here. I can't run away already."

She shrugged.

"I tried."

"Want to help me get out of here?" I asked. "Without Paul knowing?"

She raised her eyebrow again, in confusion, but complied anyway.

Which is why, two minutes later, I was walking down the street with the cool, Spanish, evening breeze whipping at my shoulders and making me wish that Jesse was around so he could offer me his jacket again. I walked in the direction we'd came in - as much of it as I could remember, at least.

I walked around a corner, sighing as I wrapped my arms over my shoulders trying to keep them warm - curse these spaghetti strap tops. Feeling something clamp down around my shoulders, on top of my hands, I jumped, spinning around to find out what it was and who had done it.

Jesse was standing there, bathed in a streetlight with a sheepish look on his face.

"I waited for you," he admitted. "Since you'd first walked away from me. After ... you know."

I nodded in acceptance, too tired to argue with him again, and clutched his jacket around my shoulders.

"Susannah?" Jesse whispered as the house came in to view, pulling me to stop just out of sight. If Mercedes, or the twins, or anybody really, had looked out of the window, they would have seen nothing.

"Yeah?" I asked, pulling his jacket off my shoulders slowly, taking in the smell of him. There was a very big chance I wouldn't get this close to him again.

"I promise you," he took the jacket away from me when I offered it to him and folded it over his arms. "You don't mean nothing to me."

I shook my head.

"Jesse," I whispered. "Don't."

"No. Listen to me Susannah." His eyes bored into mine. "You don't mean nothing to me. And I will show you that I mean it."

He leaned it to softly kiss me on the lips before taking my hand and walking the short distance towards the house with our fingers linked.

"I promise." He whispered again before letting go of my hand and opening the door of the house for me.

"You say that now," I told him. "But when you marry Maria, I really will be nothing to you."

"Susannah." The anger in Jesse's eyes startled me. "You mean something to me and lets just leave it there for now, alright?"

I nodded, still in shock as a grin broke out on Jesse's face.

"Good."

He kissed me on the forehead, his lips lingering slightly longer than I expected before he pulled away and jogged up the stairs, leaving me frozen in the hallway.

It took a few seconds before the events of the night really caught up to me :

I had been kissed by Jesse de Silva.


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N - I couldn't think of anything to write, even though I know what I wanted to. And then I couldn't stop and I've ended up with 2100 words. So, hopefully, that will make up for my updating slowly.**

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_During the 1720's - 30's - known as the Augustan period - the most outstanding poet of the age was Alexander Pope. It is also the era that saw a serious competition over the proper model for the pastoral - a piece of literature that depicts the work of shepherds. In criticism, poets struggled with a policy of decorum - of matching proper words with proper sense. At the same time, the mock-heroic was at its peak. Pope's __**'Rape of the Lock' **__and __**'The Dunciad' **__are still the greatest mock-heroic poems ever written._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon._

**Chapter 8**

I was still overwhelmed with what had happened that night by the time I had walked up to my room and gotten under the covers. My eyes were shut and I was ready to fall asleep and dream of Jesse. It seems so surreal that I had only met him this morning. Well, this morning in California. It was just as I was going to sleep that Mercedes decided to walk in and turn the light on.

"What's up with you and my brother?" She asked curiously. She wasn't mean about it.

I sat up in the bed and squinted through the harsh light.

"Nothing." I told her. "Why?"

She shrugged, switching off the light and walking over to her own bed.

"No reason." The light, thankfully, went off. "It's just … He called you his dearest one. He never calls anybody that. Not even Maria."

I was confused.

"His dearest one?" I asked.

"Yeah," she was whispering by now. Rosita and Abegail's room was next door, and they'd been in bed for hours. "That's what _querida_ means."

"Oh."

His dearest one? Maybe I really do mean something to him. Hopefully.

"Yeah," I heard Mercedes yawn. "Well, whatever is going on between the two of you, you'll have to be on your best behaviour tomorrow."

"There's nothing going on!" I told her. Well, except one little kiss, but that was all. And I'm hoping no one will find out. "And what's tomorrow?"

"New Year's Eve," she told me tiredly.

"And?"

If I sounded rude, I didn't mean to. I was tired and really, really confused.

"We're having a party." She reminded me. "You should know. It was set up by your college. A chance for all the host families to get together. Well, good night."

"Night." I echoed in a small voice.

_All _of the host families? That meant … Oh, god. That meant me, Jesse and Maria in one place. And Paul, who I think knew more then he was letting on.

I'm doomed.

--- --- ---

The next morning, I woke up tired, after, oh I don't know, about two hours of sleep. I'd been kept up all night with the different scenarios of tonight running around my head. What if Maria found out about the kiss? What if Jesse had been lying to me?

Everything was so painful to think about.

I went downstairs feeling every inch like a zombie.

"Buenos días," Jesse's mother greeted me with toast and orange juice as I reached the dining room.

"Buenos días," I returned. It was part of the little Spanish I knew - Good Morning.

"And what about me, querida?" Jesse's familiar voice sounded from behind a newspaper in the corner of the room.

This time there was no surprised silence when he called me his - gulp - dearest one.

"Morning." I nodded toward him, quickly pushing some toast in my mouth so I didn't have to talk anymore.

"It's going to be very busy today." Jesse's mom went on to say cheerfully. "With the party tonight."

"Party?" Jesse asked putting down the newspaper onto the table. "What party?"

Apparently Jesse had been just as in the dark as me.

"Oh, Jesse, really!" He was scolded. I almost laughed. You were never too old to be told off. "You know! The New Year's party that we're hosting tonight, for all of the host families."

Jesse's colour drained from his face.

"All of them?" His voice was strained.

"Yes," Mrs. De Silva didn't seem so interested in the conversation now. "Maria will be there, all of us, of course and, I think, even Felix Diego."

Jesse's jaw clenched.

"Diego?"

His mother was stopped from replying with the arrival of Josefina and Marta, effectively ending the conversation.

"Marta," Jesse's mom began. "Go upstairs and wake up _el pequeños gamelos_. Your father should have done it but I think he is still asleep. Nombre de Dios! Why he's still asleep at this hour, I don't know!"

It was funny watching the de Silva's go about their morning business. They seemed to be such a close family.

Only, why would a family this close actually let Jesse marry Maria? They had to know that he didn't love her. They can't all go along with Mr. De Silva's plans.

--- --- ---

The party had been going on for two hours already and it was coming up to half eleven. In half an hour it would be a new year - the year Jesse was getting married.

I had stayed as far away from him as I could all night. I was not going to spend it having to watch him act all engaged couple-like with Maria. Not when he kissed me last night.

"Hey there," A large, obviously Spanish, man leaned one arm against the wall I was leaning against.

I was overcome with a flume of body odour from his armpit. I forced myself not to gag.

"I'm Diego," he carried on, oblivious to my suffering. "Felix Diego. And you are?"

"Feeling a bit sick," I murmured before picking up my decibel level so that he could hear me. "Suze, and not interested. Could you try to be any more James Bond?"

I crossed my arms, stood up straight and fixed him with a glare.

"Listen, girl -"

He was cut off by Jesse.

"There's not a problem here, is there Susannah?" He asked concernedly, his hand coming to rest on my back.

"No," I told him. "I've given Mr. Diego my answer. He'll be going away now."

Diego swivelled his glare from me over to Jesse and then back to me before turning and muttering under his breath.

I shuddered when he was gone.

"Poor Cee Cee." I mumbled.

"And why is Cee Cee the one to be pitied when he just came on to you?" Jesse had obviously heard.

"She's staying with him for the next three months."

Jesse laughed outright.

"Yes, poor Cee Cee indeed," he mused. "Only, Diego lives in a small apartment barely big enough for him. I'm sure Cee Cee is staying with his parents, who smell and live better, thankfully. Diego just hangs around their house too much. I can see where you would make that assumption."

I rolled my eyes. Stupid know-it-all Jesse.

"Why aren't you with Maria?" I spat.

Me? Jealous? Nah …

"It seems that she'd rather the acquaintance of Paul than me." Jesse shrugged. "They've been talking all night. Which means that both you and I are free to do as we wish tonight."

"Seems so."

I glanced around the de Silva back yard, which had been decorated extravagantly with streamers and everything you need to pull in the New Year with a bang. They even had a few fireworks that they were planning to let off.

It seemed that everyone here was coupled off. Cee Cee and Adam, Scott and Emily were closer than usual, Maria and Paul was a relationship that I didn't even want to think about - Besides, she's engaged to _Jesse_. Who would cheat on Jesse?

Which left me and Jesse together. As well as Diego, who was alone, glaring in Maria's direction. Jeez, what did she do to him? She probably turned him down. He's not exactly the most appealing guy.

"How're you finding Barcelona?" Jesse broke in to my thoughts. "So far, I mean?"

"Jesse," I smiled. "I've been here a day."

"So you should have an opinion by now."

I laughed.

"It's nice." I told him after a minute of silence. "I like it here. It's not as hot as California, not as cold as New York can get. It's quiet, peaceful."

Jesse laughed now.

"You obviously haven't been into the city."

"No, I haven't." I agreed. "I was helping out here all day."

"As soon as the shops open after the holidays, I'll take you there." Jesse promised. "You can find out what the Barcelona city is like. Then I'll ask you again how you like it."

I agreed.

Looking at the clock on the kitchen wall, I could see it through the glass doors, I sighed.

Ten minutes until midnight.

"You should go back to Maria," I told him sadly.

"And why would I do that when I'm having so much fun with you?" He countered.

"Well, she's your fiancée." I reminded him. "I thought you'd want to bring in the New Year with her."

Jesse looked at me pointedly.

"Susannah, I told you. I don't love her." He was serious. There was no way anyone could doubt his sincerity. "Besides, if I go back over there, then I'd break up Maria and Paul. And seeing as you're the only person free, then Paul will come over to you. I can't have that happening."

I smiled. It seemed like Jesse really was jealous of Paul. It's not like he had anything to worry about - I only tolerated Paul. But, it was nice to know, just the same.

"Why Paul?" I teased. "It seemed Diego likes me, as well."

"Don't even joke about that, querida." Jesse warned. "Diego is not a good man. He's been know to … force girls to … you know."

I gulped and thought back to just before Jesse interrupted. What would he have done, if Jesse hadn't shown up? A shiver ran up my spine. Oh, I knew.

"Maria is the only girl he shows any affection to," Jesse carried on. "Even his mother comes second to Maria. I often wonder about their relationship and sometimes, I hope that they are having an affair. It would give me an excuse to break up with her."

Jesse sounded so sad, talking about his fiancée. I was starting to believe that he genuinely didn't want this marriage to go ahead. That made two of us.

Though, all of these stories about Diego explained Jesse's antagonism towards him at the breakfast table this morning.

"Oh," I soothed. "Jesse."

He shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he told me. "We have a long time before the wedding anyway."

I nodded.

Five minutes until midnight.

"I hate to say it," Jesse announced. "But I probably should go. I'd much prefer to stay here with you."

"I'd prefer that too." My voice was barely audible.

This whole situation was so hard. I came to Spain expecting laughs aplenty. Instead, I had developed a massive crush on my host's son. My host's _engaged_ son. I was such a terrible person.

Jesse's strong arms banded around my waist as he kissed my cheek.

"I want a proper New Year kiss later." He whispered into my ear, his deep voice rumbling against me. "Don't go giving it away."

He pulled away then and I smiled after him as he walked to Maria. He didn't want me to kiss anybody else at midnight. And I wasn't going to. What I _was_ going to do is have an affair with a soon-to-be-married man.

I mentally slapped myself. No. No, I wasn't. I'm not going to be that person!

Before I knew it, Paul was beckoning me to him and the countdown had begun.

It was strange. I was going to be in a new year while my parents were still back in California waiting for the new year to come. Technically, to them, I was in the future.

I laughed out loud, making Paul look at me with a strange look on his face. I shook my head. Well, it _was_ a strange thought.

The shouts of 'Happy New Year' rang around the garden, brought in with kisses between the couples and explosions from the fireworks of other people's parties. I couldn't help but let out an 'aww' when I saw Cee Cee and Adam. I was so glad that they were finally together.

"New Year kiss?" Paul asked hopefully.

I shook my head, sneaking a glance over at Jesse and Maria as I did so. Jesse kept his gaze on Paul and I as he leaned in and pecked Maria quickly. I smiled at him. My way of telling him not to worry.

"New Year hug." I responded to Paul, allowing him to pull me close as he hugged me.

I didn't return the hug, instead just standing there, my gaze locked on Jesse's.

I couldn't help but feel that that is where I should be - with Jesse.


	9. Chapter 9

**A.N - Sorry for the delay, again. Eclipse. Yadda yadda. Hope you like. :)**

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_The earlier part of the Augustan period was overshadowed by the development of the English essay. Joseph Addison and Richard Steele's __**The Spectator**__ established the form of the British periodical essay. This piece invented the position of the detached observer of human life who can ponder upon the world without encouraging any specific changes in it. However, this was also the time when the English novel, first emerging in the Restoration period, developed into a major art form. Daniel Defoe turned from journalism to writing fictional criminal lives with __**'Roxana' **__and __**'Moll Flanders'**__. He also wrote a fictional treatment of the travels of Alexander Selkirk called __**'Robinson Crusoe**__' in 1719. During the mid 18__th__ century, many more authors would begin to write novels._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon_

**Chapter 9**

Maria had been glued to Jesse's side since midnight. That was two hours ago. Maria had been glued to Jesse like Paul had been to me. There was no way I could get to Jesse to give him his kiss. Not that I was going to.

I sighed. Who was I kidding? There was no way that I was going to be able to stay away from Jesse. I was going to become The Other Woman.

Hey, I'm not proud of myself. I know - not personally, but still - what it was like to be cheated on. One of Gina's boyfriends had cheated on her back when I lived in New York. She'd cried for two days straight.

I wasn't happy that I'd been reduced to this, but I wasn't going to make it easy on Jesse. He was the one who'd lowered me to this status. So, I was going to be extremely childish, and refuse him his New Year's kiss.

"Paul." I shrugged out of his tight grip around my shoulders. "I'm tired. I'm going to go up to bed, okay?"

Paul laughed as an indescribable glint came into his eyes and his mouth twisted into a smirk.

"Yeah, sure," he told me. "That's fine. Can I come with?"

My mouth fell open and I pushed Paul away, slapping him as I did so.

"Aw, come on, Suze." He pleaded rubbing his cheek. "I was messing around."

I ignored him and walked over to Mr and Mrs De Silva, telling them I was going to go up to bed. I blamed it on the Jet Lag.

My gaze remained firmly on the door that would lead me into the safety of the house. Only two families remained outside in the party, well, one really. The de Silva's.

Only when I reached the door did I glance back over my shoulder to find Jesse, freezing when I saw him talking to Paul.

Paul smirked at Jesse, gesturing at me, making Jesse turn to look over. I shut my eyes, walked into the house and went straight upstairs to Mercedes' - and mine - room.

"Suzie!" The twins were sat on my bed jumping on it happily. "Happy New Year!"

"Rosie," I scolded, walking over to the bed. "Abbie, what are you doing up? You were put to bed ages ago."

Both twins had an innocent expression on their faces.

"Sorry, Suzie," Rosita apologised. "But we had to tell you!"

"Tell me what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"We heard Maria talking about you with the strange man." Abegail explained quietly.

I felt the blood drain from my face.

"The strange man?" I asked them.

"The one who's staying with Maria." Rosie was thinking hard. "I can't remember his name."

I sat down on the bed heavily, Rosie and Abbie each cuddling up to my side.

"She said that you were very pretty," Rosie continued. "She thinks that Jesse likes you. We _know_ he does!"

I smiled.

"Do you like Jesse too, Suzie?" Abbie asked me.

"Yes," I whispered. "I like Jesse a lot."

"Rosie," Abbie prompted. "Tell Suzie what else we heard."

There was more?

"Oh yeah," Rosita looked shocked that she'd forgotten. "Maria told the strange man that she didn't want you spending time with Jesse. She gave him money to spend time with you."

Well, that explains why Paul had refused to let me go anywhere alone.

"Where did you two hear all of this?"

"Maria took Paul into the kitchen," Rosie explained. "She told him there. Me and Abbie were hiding so that mama couldn't send us to bed before midnight."

I sighed again, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Come on, you two." I picked up Abbie as Rosita charged forward ahead of me. "You have to get to sleep now."

I took them to their pink bedroom and watched as they both ran to their respective bed.

"Suzie?" Abbie asked. "Are you upset with us?"

"Nope," I smiled at them. "I'm glad you told me. Thank you. Both of you."

I leaned and kissed each of them on their foreheads.

"Night."

I whispered, hearing a 'Buenos Noches' in return. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that I was in Spain, and that all of the people I shared this house with spoke fluent Spanish.

It was a strange thought knowing that they kept all of their conversations in English for my benefit.

I shut off the light in the twins' room, watching as glow-in-the-dark stickers lit up on the walls. Their version of a nightlight.

When I reached my room, I walked over the window, seeing if I could pick up anything from the party.

Careful to keep out of sight should anyone look up - namely Jesse - I scanned the garden where the remaining guests lingered. Marta was talking to Josefina and their mom nearest my window, Mr de Silva was talking to a man I'd learned to be his cousin - Maria's dad. Jesse and Paul had joined Maria and her mom.

"Paul." I heard Jesse's voice above the buzz of conversation. "Can I talk to you a second?"

"Sure, Hector."

I could hear the sneer in Paul's voice.

"Would you like to tell me why you are sporting a red cheek?" Jesse's voice was louder. They were standing underneath my window.

"You know," I watched Paul shrug. "Suze just got a bit upset."

"Why?"

His voice was calm even as a muscle ticked angrily in his jaw.

"She said she was going to bed." Paul's voice was smug. I could practically see Jesse's eyebrow raise to prompt him into continuing. "I asked her if I could join her."

"What?"

I could see Jesse's fists clench in anger.

"I wanted to share Suze's bed." Paul smirked. "No big deal."

Jesse nodded calmly, processing what he'd just heard.

"Well, here's a thought." Jesse stated. "Next time, don't even think that."

"What are you going to do about it?"

Jesse's answer came in the form of a right hook to Paul's jaw. I felt a gasp escape my mouth and watched as Jesse turned his gaze up to my window and saw me watching them.

My eyes widened as they locked with his brown ones and I shut them before backing away from the window.

"Nombre de Dios!" I heard Jesse's father shout, going to help Paul as I went to clutch my duvet over my head. "Hector de Silva! What were you thinking?"

The way that Mr. De Silva's voice was raised led me to believe that Jesse was no longer outside. Sure enough, I heard a knock at my door.

"Susannah?" He called. "Can I come in?"

I swallowed. I wanted him to come in. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and tell me that he was just messing around with this whole engagement thing, that we could be together after all. I knew he wouldn't though - because it wasn't true.

"Susannah?" His voice drifted through the door again, slightly hysteric.

"I'm fine." I called back. "I'm going to sleep."

"Querida, please!"

"No, Jesse." I blinked back a tear. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

It was a while before I heard the creak of the floorboard telling me that he had walked away from the door, leaving me alone.

--- --- ---

The night passed quickly. I fell into a fitful sleep shortly after Mercedes collapsed onto her bed. My dream consisted of Jesse punching Paul. In slow motion. Over and over again.

I woke up feeling stupid. Why did I care if Paul was hurt? He deserved it for what he'd said.

I don't think I _was_ upset at Paul being hurt though - that was the problem. It was probably more because of Jesse's reaction. He had no right to hit Paul, even if it was justified. Because, to everybody else, Jesse and I were nothing to each other. Strangers that met on a plane. He had no right to defend me.

And that hurt. Because I wanted him to.

There were more voices than I was used to in the kitchen when I went down for breakfast. I felt a confused look settle on my face as I heard Paul's laugh and accompanying voice.

"Oh, don't worry about it Mr. De Silva." He chuckled. "I've had worse."

What was Paul doing here?

"Oh, I'm sure!" Jesse's father continued. "But Jesse still shouldn't have done it."

"I deserved it."

"I don't know." Jesse's father continued. "What do you think Maria? Do you think he deserved it?"

Maria was here too?

I froze in front of the kitchen door, too scared to enter. I jumped as I felt a hand cover my mouth as an arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me sideways into the hall.

"You didn't give me my New Year kiss." Jesse's familiar voice accused of me in my ear.

"No." I agreed. "I didn't."

"Why?" He asked, kissing my shoulder.

"I wasn't going to make this situation easy for you." I told him.

"Fair enough." He agreed. "I've dug myself a grave with this."

"Isn't it strange?" I whispered.

"What?"

He pressed his lips to mine.

"That we only met two days ago." I carried on. "We met forty-eight hours ago, and already we've gotten into this situation."

"Yes." He kissed me again. "Strange."

"What's stranger still," I continued. "Is that I don't want to change anything." I paused. "Well, I'd like it if you weren't engaged. But, other than that, nothing."

"I'd like it if I wasn't engaged too." Jesse agreed. "So, does this mean that you'll give me my New Year's kiss, after all?"

I rolled my eyes and nodded, leaning in towards him and capturing his lips with my own.


	10. Chapter 10

**A.N - Wow. Big chapter of 2500 words. I'm chuffed.**

**Chapter goes out to Emily because this chapter brought up memories of our own trip to _Parc Güell_ when we went to Spain back in March. Plus she gave me the idea for setting it there.**

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed last chapter. Hope you like this one.**

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_The next significant stage in the history of English literature, I think, is the beginning of Romanticism. The dominance of nature and character through evolution had been preached by Jean Jacques Rousseau and his message was picked up by almost all European Poets. The first in England, however, were the 'Lake Poets', a small group of friends including William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. These early Romantic Poets brought a new emotionalism and introspection, and their coming out is marked by the first romantic Manifesto in English Literature - the '__**Preface to the Lyrical Ballads'**__. It was Wordsworth who contributed mostly to this collection, although Coleridge must be credited for his long and impressive '__**Rime of the Ancient Mariner'**__. This is a tragic ballad about the survival of one sailor through a series of supernatural events, including the slaying of an albatross, the death of the rest of the crew and a visit from Death and his mate._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon._

**Chapter 10**

When I first sat on that plane to London, Heathrow one month ago, I'd never thought that I'd end up in this place. Never. Not in a million years. Even after I had found out that Jesse was my airplane neighbour.

But, here I was.

A month had gone by since the New Year party - since Jesse and I had begun this affair. Which is the place I'd never though I'd be. I never wanted to be the reason that a girl was cheated on.

Paul had been doing his side of the deal with Maria perfectly - he hardly left me alone. He'd even manage to secure a place on the De Silva's impromptu trip to show their American guest the beauty of Parc Güell. All he'd had to do was mention to Maria how much he'd like to see it as well, and Maria was on the phone in a flash arranging it with her dad's favourite cousin.

Which brought me to now, staring up at the staircases that led up to some of the most beautiful mosaics I'd ever seen - and this was as I was still a distance away - with Paul Slater tightly gripping my hand as I desperately tried to pull it away.

"So?" Jesse's mom asked me and Paul excitedly. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful."

"It's alright."

My appreciative statement was drowned out by Paul's nonchalant response, causing both me and Jesse to glare at him.

"I don't see what the big deal is about this place," Maria complained, snootily looking away from the splendour as she wrapped an arm around Jesse's waist. "It's basically just pretty rocks."

Jesse turned his glare on her and twisted out of her grip taking a small step towards me. I used the pretence of tucking a lock of hair behind my ear to get my hand out of Paul's.

I began walking forward, 'accidentally' brushing Jesse's hand as I did so. The tingles that went through me almost made me jump - as they always did.

They were chased away from me completely when Paul regained control of my hand with his own big, sweaty one.

"Suzie! Suzie!" Rosita charged forward and took hold of my hand, pulling me out of Paul's grip as Abegail offered her own to Jesse.

"Suzie, come see this picture!" Rosie led me up the staircase as Abbie did the same with Jesse, both of us ahead of the rest of the group. Out of hearing distance.

God Bless the twins.

"See!" Rosie boasted triumphantly when she succeeded in pulling me under the terrace and pointing upwards at the many mosaics that were built into the stone above me. "Aren't they pretty? Jesse! Aren't they pretty?"

"Wow." I breathed. "They are. Really, really pretty."

"Yeah." I heard Jesse's voice before I felt the full intensity of his stare on me. "I agree. Really pretty."

I glanced over at him, smiling and catching his eye as he winked at me, before turning my attention back to the twins, who were both anxious to roam around the park.

"Jesse?" Abbie asked him, drawing out his name into many syllables in that child-like tone. "Can we go and see the shop people?"

Jesse gasped in mock-outrage, frowning even as a smile threatened to overtake his lips.

"Without mama?" He asked, lifting his hand to cover his heart jokingly.

Abbie smiled and gestured for Jesse to lean in closer, whispering in his ear as he did so.

"Oh," Jesse said overly-loud making Abbie giggle. "Well in that case. We _have_ to go without mama."

Abbie nodded, still giggling.

"Can Susannah come too?" He asked the twins who were both looking up at him with eyes that were full of mirth. "We can't leave her with Maria and the strange man, can we?"

Both pairs of eyes widened.

"No!" Rosita cried. "No, we can't. She can come."

Rosie gestured for me to bend down to her, which I did with the biggest smile on my face. These twins were so cute. Not to mention that Jesse was really good with them …

"We're going to buy mama a present." She told me quietly, cupping her hands over my ear.

I nodded to show I understood the need for secrecy before returning to my full height and letting the twins lead me away just as Maria's voice reached my ears.

"And all these _stairs_!" She was complaining, obviously not caring about the disappearance of her fiancé. "_Díos! _It's like they _want _me to start sweating."

I was glad that Jesse's eldest sisters were all busy at work and school, and therefore didn't have to put up with Maria's incessant whining. I felt bad enough for Jesse's mother and father. Not Paul though. He was making private deals with her - he could suffer.

I heard the twins giggle again and I looked over at Jesse's too-innocent face with my eyebrow raised.

"I just told them that I hate the 'strange man'." He repeated for my benefit.

"Jesse!" I sighed. "His name is Paul." I gasped when I realised something. "You're the one who's been putting those names in the twins' heads!"

"Actually," Jesse laughed, touching my hand so quickly it could have been an accident. It wasn't though. It was Jesse's way of telling me how much he wanted to hold my hand, but couldn't because we were in public. "No. _They _put it in _my _head."

I rolled my eyes.

"Uh-huh." I agreed. "Sure."

Jesse shrugged.

"Believe what you wish."

Rosita and Abegail's excited screams told us that we'd found the 'shop people' - which actually turned out to be a pathway full of those people that sell you cheap souvenirs.

Jesse smiled at their behaviour.

"Rosie," he warned. "Abbie. Remember not to touch anything."

"We know." They chorused before breaking off in a run towards the nearest shop person, leaving me and their brother alone.

"And stay in sight!" Jesse called after them.

I laughed.

"What?" He asked me with a smile on his face.

I fell into step beside him.

"You're good with them." I noted.

"You are too."

I shrugged, brushing away the compliment, and we walked together in silence down the long pathway.

"I'm sorry," he startled me with his sudden outburst. "For all of this. I can't imagine how hard this is for you." He paused. "Well, actually I can. If it's anything like it is for me seeing you with Paul Slater… I'm sorry, querida."

"Jesse." I spoke quietly to him. "It's okay. Really. I knew what I was getting into from the beginning. Besides -" I shrugged like the thought didn't bother me. "- another two months and I'll be back in California."

"Susannah." He pulled me to a stop and made me look up at him. "Don't say that. Don't -"

"Jesse! Suzie!"

Hearing the twins shout our names made Jesse shut his eyes in defeat as I pulled apart from him and went to see what they wanted.

"We found what we want to buy mama!"

Their loud voices had some people glancing over with smiles on their faces as I frantically looked to make sure that their mama wasn't actually in hearing range.

"What is it?" Jesse's voice behind me startled me. As did the feel of his hand resting on my hip, the action blocked off from anyone else seeing with his body.

"That necklace right there!"

Rosita announced their finding as Abbie pointed to a black string necklace with a pink-stone heart hanging from it.

I nodded my approval of their choice as Jesse pulled out a five euro note to pay for said item. European money was way prettier than the plain green of American dollars.

The necklace was placed in a bag and given to the twins who ran to give it to their mama who was sitting on a bench a short way away. Maria and Paul were nowhere to be seen - probably talking about how they'd failed to keep Jesse and I apart today.

"What do you want, querida?" Jesse's voice in my ear made me shiver. He was leaning against me - his chest to my back.

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"To say sorry." He chuckled deeply in my ear. "For today. For the past month."

"Jesse," I complained breathlessly. "You don't have to do that."

"I know." He shrugged pointing to a green and gold beaded bracelet before handing over the change he'd received from his earlier purchase.

He held out his hand to collect the bracelet and rejected his change before pulling me away from the jewellery-covered blanket that classed as a stall.

"It matches your eyes." He whispered to me, pushing it onto my left wrist.

I swallowed through the lump in my throat, blinking back tears at this unexpected, romantic gesture.

"Thank you."

I wrapped my arms around his neck as his own banded around my waist and pulled me closer to him. We hugged for a bit longer than necessary to say thank-you, but we didn't care. I felt a tear escape my eye at the unfairness of it all. Jesse clutched me tighter when he felt the tear splash onto the skin of his shoulder. He rested his chin on the top of my head, rubbing his hand in slow circles at the bottom of my back.

I wanted to stay like that forever.

A cough ruined that wish for me.

I pulled apart from Jesse, guilt lacing my features, as I turned to see who had interrupted us and praying it wasn't either Maria or Paul.

Imagine my surprise when I saw my best friends standing there with their arms wrapped around each other's waists. looking at me and Jesse pointedly.

I blushed and looked away from their accusatory glares, playing with my newly-acquired bracelet.

"I was just saying thank-you." I explained.

"Mm-hmm." Was Cee Cee's reply.

Jesse rubbed the back of his neck with his hand nervously.

"So," I began wanting to break the awkward silence that had fallen over the four of us. "Looks like our families have been arranging trips behind our backs."

"I don't know about your family," Adam scoffed. "But ours couldn't care less what we do while we're here."

"Oh." My voice sounded small.

"The Diego's are here though." Cee Cee continued. "Felix wanted to visit. I rang Adam and now he's here too."

I raised my eyebrow. _Felix Diego_ wanted to come_ here_? A place that would hold no appeal to a man like him. Unless, he'd known that we were going to be here.

I felt the blood drain from my face and my hands grow clammy.

Oh god. Maybe he was still upset with me over the whole turning-him-down-on-New-Year's-Eve thing.

Jesse saw the look on my face and took my hand, squeezing it briefly before dropping it.

_No_, he told me in that small action. _He's not here for you._

Thank god.

I felt relief spread through me.

"Excuse us, Jesse," Cee Cee grabbed my arm and pulled me away from my kind-of boyfriend. "But we need to speak to Suze."

Without waiting for him to reply, they yanked me further away from Jesse.

"Guys!" I complained. "That was rude!"

"What are you doing Suze?" Cee Cee hissed. "He's _engaged_!"

I wasn't listening to Cee Cee as I heard noises nearby. I wandered away from my friends, closer to the rustling of the bushes and the familiar voices.

It wasn't long before I found a clearing where two people were. Two very familiar people.

"Suze?" Adam called a bit too loudly for my liking.

"Shush." I hissed at them, raising a finger to my lips as I realised what was going on in front of my eyes.

"Suze, stop kidding around." Cee Cee scolded. "You can't get involved with Jesse! He's getting married!"

I snapped my head around to glare at the two of them.

"Yeah," I told her as I gestured toward the gap in the trees. "And so is she."

"What are you talking about?"

My best friends pushed me aside in their haste to figure out if I was crazy or not. They both gasped as they saw what I had saw :

Felix Diego and Maria de Silva - the engaged Maria de Silva - leaning against a tree kissing quite passionately as Diego's hand was laid possessively over her revealed stomach.

"Maybe it's not them." Adam stupidly suggested.

I hit him lightly over the head but was saved from replying by Diego's gruff voice as it drifted over to us.

"Maria." He growled. "I missed you. I missed this."

And then Maria's voice.

"Yeah, me too." She admitted, gasping when Felix's other hand came to forcibly push Maria's head towards him for another kiss. "We just have to keep this a secret until the wedding day. Until I say 'I do'." She rolled her eyes. "And then I can divorce the man and bleed him and his family dry."

"That family is too rich for their own good." Felix agreed.

I stumbled backwards, back onto the main pathway, in shock.

Oh. My. God.

Cee Cee and Adam joined me shortly after, both of their eyes wide in shock and disgust for the scene they'd just witnessed.

"Um," Adam shifted awkwardly, not knowing how to react to the disturbing scene. Felix and Maria were _not _the poster couple for 'Match Made In Heaven'. "We have to go now. Sorry, Suze."

"Yeah," Cee Cee agreed. "I need to go see a _really _interesting film and get my mind off of _that_."

My two best friends hurried away from the scene-of-the-crime leaving me alone with the thoughts of what I'd just heard. And seen, I suppose. But I was trying to repress _that _particular memory.

Maria was using Jesse for his money. _And _cheating on him.

Which left me with one question : What do I do now?


	11. Chapter 11

**A.N - Sorry that this update is a bit delayed, they probably will be a lot now that school has started again. But, it's long, over 2000 words (which probably isn't amazingly long but it is for me) so that should make up for it.**

**And, I have another story up. Please, check it out. I quite like it. It's called Nothing To Lose.**

**To Emily, and our all day together tomorrow - I love the way my timetable worked out.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

_The 'Second Generation' of Romantic Poets includes Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley and John Keats. Byron, however, was perhaps the least romantic of the group. His first trip to Europe resulted in the first two verses of '__**Childe Harold's Pilgrimage'**__, a mock-heroic epic of a young man's adventures in Europe but also a sharp spoof against London society. Despite the success of said piece of literature, as well as the publication of __**'The Giaour'**__ and __**'The Corsair'**__, rumours of having an affair with his half-sister forced Byron to flee from England for good. It was then that Lord Byron joined Percy Bysshe Shelley, and his wife Mary, with his secretary Dr. John Polidori. Although it is just a short story, Polidori must be credited for introducing The Vampyre, conceived from the same competition which spawned Mary Shelley's __**'Frankenstein'**_

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon._

**Chapter 11**

I can't believe it had gotten to this. Swallowing heavily, I pushed my earrings into my ears. A week after I'd caught Maria and Diego rounding second base, I was on a date. No, not with Jesse as I would have liked to. With Paul.

Though, to be fair, it was only in retaliation to Jesse's plans. He had decided to take Maria out to the fanciest restaurant this side of Barcelona. He wasn't supposed to like her, wasn't supposed to take her out anywhere. So, I wanted to make him jealous, as jealous as I was. A little childish, sure, but sometimes the best way to deal with grown-up problems was with immaturity.

At least that's my theory.

"You don't have to do this Susannah." Jesse's voice travelled towards me from where he was leaning against my open bedroom doorway. "I have an … obligation, if you will, to spend time with Maria. You and Paul … well, that's just because you want to get back at me. And it will not work."

"Really?" By now I'd finished with my earrings and moved onto carefully apply just the right amount of make-up without seeming too pushy. "What if I really, really liked Paul?"

Jesse walked towards me, slamming the door shut with his foot as he did so.

"If that were true," he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me towards him, kissing my neck. "Then you and I wouldn't have been seeing each other for the past month."

I shrugged and twisted out of his tight grip.

"Maybe it took a month with you to realise that I like him more."

I was aiming for him to be hurt, at least. But all I got was a chuckle.

"Nice try, querida," he reattached himself around me. "But you hate Paul Slater."

"Stop calling me that." I spoke quietly.

"What?" he kissed me deeply. "Querida?"

I pulled away from him again.

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "That! I am not your dearest one! Maria is."

"How did you …?" Jesse looked confused before shaking his head. "Never mind. Susannah, you are. You're my dearest one. Look, the reason I'm going out with her tonight is because something has been brought to my attention. Didn't you wonder why I chose now out of any night over the past month?"

I bit my lip. Yes, I had wondered that.

"Susannah," Jesse continued. "Maria is cheating on me."

"I know."

"You … know?" He spoke the words slowly, trying to wrap his mind around that fact.

I nodded silently.

"Susannah!" He cried. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well I only found out last week!" I countered.

"A week?" He demanded, walking towards me as I kept walking backwards before he'd trapped me against the wall. "You've known for a week and you didn't tell me?"

"Well, it's not like it came up in conversation!" I shouted back at him, causing him to glance at the door to check no one came running.

"Susannah," he breathed, leaning his head on the wall over my shoulder. "I'm not angry at you not telling me. I'm angry at the time we've lost because of it. Don't you see? I'm going to break off the engagement, now that I know that she's cheating on me. I have the perfect reason!"

I glanced up at him shyly.

"Really?"

"Yes," Jesse pushed a lock of my hair behind my ear, letting his hand linger on my cheek. "My silly _chica pequeña_. What did you think I was going to do?"

I just shook my head in response; I was being stupid. I had no idea what he would have done.

"Now that you have discovered my intentions behind this dinner," he continued, kissing my jaw line. "Can you please - _please _- call off this date with Slater? I hate seeing you with him."

"I can't." I admitted, turning back to my reflection in the mirror so I could finish getting ready. "Paul's got us reservations at some really elite restaurant. It must've cost him loads, it would be rude not to go."

Jesse groaned.

"Okay," he agreed. "But do you have to look so radiant for him?"

I giggled as he stood behind me and ran his hands up and down my revealed shoulders before kissing one.

"It's going to kill me." He said quietly. "Knowing you're out with him."

I turned in his arms.

"I'll only be thinking of you." I promised. "And I swear I'll never go out with him again."

Jesse smiled.

"Thank you." He mouthed the words before leaning in to kiss me.

It wasn't long before we were interrupted.

"Oh, my God!" Mercedes exclaimed. "Oh, sorry! I didn't know you guys were …" She shut her eyes. "Um, Suze, Paul's here. I'll just be going now."

Mercedes ran out of the room as Jesse let out a breath and rested his forehead against mine.

"Guess our secrets blown." Jesse stated.

"Yeah."

I didn't know how to react now. Mercedes knew! Would she tell the rest of the family?

"You better go," Jesse told me through clenched teeth. "Can't keep Paul waiting."

"Yeah." I agreed, twisting out of his arms only to be pulled back quickly as Jesse's lips descended on my own.

He grinned sheepishly as we pulled away.

"To tie me over." He explained.

Nodding, I checked my appearance in the mirror before racing down the stairs to meet Paul.

"Hey," he greeted me with a smirk. "You look great. Ready to go?"

I nodded, hiding my disdain towards him. He'd called me great, Jesse had called me radiant. Guess who I wanted to be with right now?

So involved in my hatred for Paul, I didn't notice his eyes narrow into a glare at something on the stairs behind me, so I was surprised when his lips suddenly claimed my own.

Pulling away hastily, I opened my mouth to verbally attack him when he interrupted me.

"Let's get going Suze."

Even though Paul was talking to me, his smirk was fixated on something behind me.

As Paul looped his arm around my waist - and I cringed at his touch - I glanced behind me to find Jesse standing on the stairs looking at me sadly.

"Sorry," I mouthed at him and he nodded at me dejectedly before the door was shut behind me and Paul led me to his awaiting car.

I rolled my eyes as he held the door open for me.

Oh sure, I thought. Wine and dine me extravagantly, but get me there in a taxi.

--- --- ---

I cannot believe that Paul did this to me! He arranged for us to go to the same restaurant that Jesse was taking Maria to! That little …

Now I was forced to act nice to Paul _and_ act uninterested in what Jesse and Maria were doing just two tables down. My mind was all over the place. I couldn't even remember what I'd ordered.

"I've got to go to the bathroom." I told Paul, hurriedly jumping out of my chair and heading in that general direction.

Oh God, oh God, oh God.

Why did Paul feel the need to make me suffer this way?

I had regained my composure enough to go back to the table after five minutes. Plus the bathrooms were right next to the kitchen and the delicious smells were making me hungry.

Raising my head up higher I walked confidently towards Paul who was sitting alone at the table …

… Only for my arm to be grabbed by somebody who pulled me in the direction I'd just come from. But, instead of stopping in front of the bathrooms, he pulled me in to the kitchen.

"Jesse!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing? We can't come in here!"

"It's okay," he brushed it off. "I know someone. I just wanted to be the first to tell you."

My hope jumped.

"Tell me what?"

Had they broken up? Please tell me they'd broken up.

My hopes were dashed when I saw Jesse's face. When your boyfriend is about to tell you that he broke up with his fiancée, they tend not to look a strange mixture of upset and angry.

"Oh no." I whispered.

Jesse's eyes were agonised as they looked at me.

"I'm so, so sorry, querida." He told me. The buzz of conversation from the restaurant grew momentarily louder as the kitchen doors swung open, only to shut again a second later. "I went to her house and told her what I knew. I promise you I did."

I swallowed.

"But?" I asked.

I knew there was one coming.

"She burst into tears," he continued. "Told her father that it was the stress of her engagement, she was feeling the need to have one last fling before she settled down. Her father decided it would be best to -" He took a deep breath and looked away from me as he said the last part. "It would be best to move up the wedding. The sooner that she's settled down, the less tempting it would be."

Suddenly, I was angry.

"And, what?" I demanded. "You just said 'oh, sure, okay' and left on your date to _celebrate_?!"

"No, Susannah." Jesse objected. "That's not it!"

Unbelievably, I felt tears form in my eyes. Stupid Jesse. Making me cry.

"Then why are you still with her?" I asked quietly.

"To please my father, you know this, querida."

I shook my head and looked away from him.

"What about yourself Jesse?" I asked, still in that quiet tone. "Don't you want to be happy?"

"I -"

"No, Jesse." I interrupted. "I'm not finished. Maria is using you Jesse, and it wouldn't surprise me if her father was in on it too. They want your money. Your family's money. This 'business deal' probably isn't even going to happen. Maria is going to marry you, divorce you and take your money."

Jesse looked suitably shocked. Waiters and the cooks looked at us curiously as they went about their jobs.

"Querida, how do you -"

I cut him off again.

"No, I told you Jesse." I was practically whispering now. "You can't call me that." I paused. "When?"

"When, what?" He asked, moving closer towards me cautiously, trying to see how I would receive him.

"When's the wedding?"

I stopped myself from openly breaking down and crying, instead letting a few tears soak into Jesse's shirt. It seemed I could only cry when his arms were around me.

"Next month." He whispered into my ear. "March 28th."

Nodding slowly, I pulled away from him, my eyes watery as I looked up at his own pain-filled brown ones.

"I have to go." I kissed his cheek quickly. "Paul. Goodbye Jesse."

Jesse's jaw clenched as he inclined his head towards the door, watching as I raced out of the busy kitchen and back over to Paul who had started his dinner without me, my own getting colder by the second.

I tapped his shoulder and he turned around with a jump.

"God, Suze," he smiled. "You scared the -" He looked up at my face. "What's wrong?"

For someone who turned out to be such a sucky date, he actually seemed quite concerned.

"Just take me home?" I asked.

He nodded immediately, leaving enough money on the table to cover the cost of his half eaten - and mine not at all - meal.

I didn't cringe when Paul placed his hand at the bottom of my back as he led me out of the restaurant this time. Nor did I apologise for Paul's glare in the general direction of Jesse's table. I was too busy trying not to openly cry.

"What did he do?" Paul demanded in the taxi, wrapping his arms around me comfortingly.

"Nothing that wasn't expected of him." I answered honestly.

He rubbed his hand up and down my back reassuringly.

"I can hurt him," Paul offered. "If it would help."

I laughed derisively.

"No, it's okay." The taxi pulled up to my house. Well, the house I was staying at. "I'll be okay."

"I'll phone you tomorrow?"

I nodded and let him kiss my cheek. Paul wasn't so bad after all. It's just when he was conspiring with Maria that he turned evil.

He waved slightly and jumped in the back of the cab again before it drove away, leaving me swallowing back my tears. Suze Simon never cried. Until I met Jesse de Silva, then I seemed to cry frequently. But now he was out of my life too - I was sure of it this time. He was getting married. Next month.

And I was going back to California with my friends, Paul included. Jesse would be back here, enjoying his happy - if short lived - marriage. Well, he couldn't say I didn't warn him.


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N - I'm sorry! I know my updating has been stupidly non-existant. I say blame school who have decided to give me an absurd amount of homework. Though that's hardly an excuse, with Moondancing Millie updating left, right and centre. :) All I can say for myself is that my life has been rather hard recently. I wont bore you with details though.**

**Dedication to Moondancing Mille/Emily - of course! She's stuck by me a lot. And she just rocks. Full stop. **

* * *

_Mary Shelley did not go down in history for her poetry, but for giving birth to science fiction. The plot for her novel __**'Frankenstein'**__ is said to have come from a nightmare that she had during a stormy night on Lake Geneva. Her idea of making a body with human parts stolen from different corpses - something that this author does __**not**__ want to think about - and then animating it with electricity was perhaps influenced by Alessandro Volta's invention and Luigi Galvani's experiments with dead frogs. But the creature of Frankenstein is also incredibly romantic. Although 'this monster' is intelligent, good and loving, he is shunned because of his ugliness and deformity and the desperation and envy that result from social exclusion turn him against the man who created him._

_However, the most popular novelist of the era was Sir Walter Scott, whose romances inspired a generation of painters, composers and writers throughout Europe._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon_

**Chapter 12**

"So, what's up with you and my brother?"

Mercedes was lying back on her bed, flicking through a Spanish magazine. Glancing at the front cover, I realised that my Spanish skills hadn't improved an inch since being here.

"You're back early, by the way." She noted.

I looked at her tiredly.

"Yeah, I know."

She must've recognised how fed-up I sounded because she threw aside the magazine - well, put it neatly on her bedside table - and came to envelope me in a hug.

"What's wrong, Suze?" She asked.

"It's just been a hard day." I replied, pushing her away gently. I was determined not to cry again tonight.

"Does my brother have something to do with this?" She demanded, her hands coming to rest on her hips angrily. I had to smile at the sight she made. Jesse did the exact same thing after finding out that I had spent the day with Paul.

"A little bit." I admitted quietly.

"_¡Ese idiota!" _Mercedes cursed in Spanish, though it didn't really take a genius to figure out what she was saying. She shook her head softly. "I'm sorry, Suze. He should have known better then to start all of this with you, especially since he's getting married. I guess he's just more selfish than I always thought."

I looked up at her sharply.

"No, don't blame Jesse. Please don't!" I pleaded. "It wasn't really his fault. I knew what I was getting in to. He's not selfish."

She nodded though I'm pretty sure that she didn't believe me.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked.

"Just, stop him from coming inside to talk to me?" I replied quietly. "I'm not really up for talking to him."

We'd done enough talking in the restaurant's kitchen.

"Yeah, sure." She smiled. "I can do that."

"_Gracías_." Yeah, that's about all the Spanish I knew.

Mercedes smiled at my effort.

A knock pounded on the door and I groaned before burying my head under the covers. Talk of the devil and he shall appear. Not that I thought of Jesse as the devil.

"I'll take care of it." Mercedes assured me as she opened the door and the knocking ceased.

"Susannah!" Jesse cried. I could see the from forming on his face when he saw Mercedes instead of me. "Let me speak to Susannah."

"Jesse," she scolded, stepping into the hallway and shutting the door behind her. "You'll wake the twins."

Jesse's reply was blocked out with the wood of the door and I fell into a dreamless sleep with my eyes red and puffy and my head pounding.

--- --- ---

Morning came with me opening my eyes to Mercedes' sympathetic face.

"_Buenos Días, Señorita_," she greeted me with a smile. A fake one.

"Okay," I began groggily. "What's up?"

She sighed and the smile was wiped from her face.

"Maria is downstairs. She wants to talk to you."

I jumped out of bed quickly. Oh god, what if she knows? I pulled myself into presentable clothes and raced downstairs.

So what if she knows? I told myself. _I _knew about her and Diego. Technically, we're both on even ground.

"_Hola." _I greeted quietly, walking into the big kitchen and sitting down at the table. Maria was sat opposite me with Jesse next to her. I refused to look him in the eye.

There was a plate piled high with toast in the middle of the table and I gratefully took one - or five. I couldn't talk if my mouth was full.

"Thank you _so _much Mrs. De Silva!" She gushed, looking perfect despite the early hour.

"What for, Maria?" Jesse's mom looked genuinely confused.

I buttered my toast silently.

"Why, for letting me stay here of course!" She continued.

I felt the blood leave my face. Maria had stayed over? Had my not talking to Jesse last night led him to spend the night … gulp … _with_ her?

"Oh, Maria," Jesse's mom waved off her gratitude. "You've thanked me twice already."

"I know."

Maria looked smug. That show was for my benefit, I gathered.

"I just wanted to thank you again." She shrugged casually before raising her toast to her mouth and taking a dainty nibble.

Oh, so she was to pretty to _eat _now, was she?

I felt something graze my leg under the table and I froze. It was Jesse. Well, Jesse's foot to be exact.

I tried to be discrete in sending him a glare.

Jesse, being the annoyingly lovable guy he is, merely smirked, and continued playing footsie with me.

"Oh. _¡Díos!_" Maria exclaimed, making me jump. "Where _are_ my manners? I roused you from bed so early, Susannah. And I haven't even told you why yet!"

The name Susannah sounded so odd coming from her lips. Only Jesse called me that. It was a Jesse-Only type thing. Jesse stiffened as well, his foot frozen on my own.

"I was wondering, Susannah." Her eyes glinted at me - I'm sure she saw my flinch at her use of my real name. "Since you and Jesse seem to be quite close -" Oh. God. "-Would you like to be one of my bridesmaids? I'm sure you know by now that the wedding has been moved up."

I nodded dumbly.

"Well, one of my original bridesmaids can't make it. I'd be honoured if you could step in for her."

I felt like I couldn't breath. My eyes darted around the kitchen, the only people looking at me was Maria and Jesse, everyone else was doing their own thing. So why did I feel like the centre of attention? Like all eyes were on me? It must be Jesse's gaze. To me, Jesse's eyes had the intensity of a thousand pairs.

"Well?" Maria prompted with a smile.

"Sure, I'd be happy to."

"Excellent. We'll get your dress sorted out soon."

She continued in her conversation with Jesse's mom then, leaving me practically hyperventilating in my seat, Jesse's eyes glued to my face. What had I just agreed to? Not only was the man I loved - yes, loved, not that I was ever going to tell him - getting married. But now I had to stand there and witness their vows _up close_?! Knowing that he was going to end up divorced and losing half of his money by June.

There's no way around it - I am _very _stupid.

"I have to go now." I interrupted, blindly jumping into the conversation. "I promised I'd do some work with Cee Cee. Some work on our essays."

Jesse's mom nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Of course, dear." That made me smile. She hadn't called Maria 'dear' once. "I'm sorry to have kept you so long."

I smiled at her.

"No, no trouble." I insisted. "I like talking to you in the mornings."

Maria scoffed, believe it or not, very ladylike.

"Puh-lease," she changed the word into two syllables. "You've barely said a word all morning."

I glared at her slightly.

I see now why the twins didn't like her.

"Doesn't mean that I don't like listening." I amended, slightly nastily.

Maria scoffed quietly again but said nothing else.

"Excuse me." I said to the occupants of the kitchen before running upstairs to get changed.

Well, to change my top. I was wearing jeans and my pyjama camisole. It didn't take me long, and I threw my school books into a bag, swinging it over my shoulder as I ran back down the stairs.

"Nice try, Susannah." I froze as Jesse stepped in front of me, blocking my progress down the stairs. "But I happen to know that you haven't spoken to Cee Cee in at least two days."

"How?" I challenged.

He rolled his eyes.

"Querida, I grew up in a house with six women who spent - and still do - all day on the phone." He told me, stepping up one stair closer to me. "The phone hasn't been busy for any of them recently."

"I texted?" I tried.

"You're phone ran out of battery and you forgot to pack your charger."

I opened my mouth to ask him how he knew _that _when he continued.

"Mercedes." He told me. "Never send one of my sisters to stop me from getting closer to you." He stepped closer to me again so that our lips were level, despite him being a step below me. "Especially when I know exactly how much money she needs to buy her new favourite flavour of lip gloss."

He tucked my hair behind my ear.

"You bribed your sister?" I asked incredulously.

He chuckled.

"And Maria." He admitted. "She now has enough money to spend the day in a health spa." He rolled his eyes. "Primping herself for our wedding."

Mentioning that was probably the worst thing he could have done.

I took a step up the stairs, putting distance between us.

Jesse sighed.

"Querida," He began. "I know. I know everything. That she's going to divorce me after our wedding and take my family's money. I know. Maria has always been a gold digger. Why do you think she's interested in Diego?"

My mouth fell open.

"Yeah. He's rich." Jesse told me. "His family has always been rich. He just thinks my family flaunt it more."

The thoughts running through my head probably weren't the best ones to be having. Jesse knew everything about his sham of an engagement and all I could think was -

"Felix has that much money and he can't afford _deodorant_?!"

Jesse chuckled and stepped up to the stair I'd been occupying throughout the majority of our encounter.

"Yes, Susannah." He breathed. "Tragic, isn't it?"

I nodded.

"But, thankfully, it leaves us both free for the day." He prompted.

"I guess it does." I smiled which quickly became a frown with my next thought. "But I'm not allowed to be seen in public with you. Everybody knows you're engaged to Maria."

Jesse nodded gravely.

"Yes, that's true. But they don't know in, say, Port Aventura."

He smiled as he say the happy look spread over my face.

"Really?" I asked excitedly. Jesse nodded. "You're taking me to a theme park?"

Jesse nodded again, chuckling when I wrapped my arms around him.

"It opens in an hour." He whispered into my ear, his hand rubbing circles into my back. "It'll take that long to get there. Are you ready to go now?"

I jumped away from him, bouncing on the balls of my toes excitedly.

"Am I ever!"

Jesse laughed and laced my fingers with his.

"Good."

We ran out of the door and into his car, our hands entwined, laughing like school children.

I was so psyched at the thought of being able to spend a day, out in public, with Jesse - whilst having the time of my life in one of Europe's best theme parks - that I didn't see the brown haired, blue eyed boy standing off to the side of the front door, flowers in hand, ready to apologise for how he'd been behaving the past two months.

Or that he'd crunched the bouquet up in his hands when Jesse and I tore past him happily.

Jesse started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, lifting up my hand and pressing a kiss to my knuckles.

"Excited?" He asked, needlessly.

"Yeah!" I nodded happily, squeezing his hand. I could almost believe that he wasn't actually engaged after all.

"To Port Aventura we go." Jesse joked, speeding off down the road, leaving Paul Slater standing in the dust behind him.


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N - Again, I'm soooo sorry for the stupidly long wait for an update. I'm ashamed of myself. Really. It's been eleven days since my last update.**

**Hope you're still with me on this. xD**

* * *

_Jane Austen, a favourite author of mine, wrote novels about the life of the landed gentry, seen from a women's point of view. It particularly focused on practical social issues, like marriage and money. Her most famous novel - __**'Pride and Prejudice' **__- was first published in January of 1813, and is one of the first romantic comedies in the history of the novel. __**'Pride and Prejudice' **__was published after __**'Sense and Sensibility'**__ but before her other works, __**'Mansfield Park'**__**'Emma'**__**'Persuasion'**__ and __**'Northanger Abbey'**__. Jane Austen originally published her novels under the pseudonym 'a lady' . One thing's for sure, though, __**'Pride and Prejudice'**__ continues to inspire writer's and filmmaker's alike. And the plot never fails to get old - at least not to this author._

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon._

**Chapter 13**

Jesse's hand squeezed mine tightly as he looked at me with his dark brown eyes.

"Querida?" I turned my head slightly to face him. "What are you thinking about? You seem far away."

I jolted back into now.

"Mmm," I murmured. "Sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

He pulled me back slightly so that my head was resting on his thighs, facing him. His fingers ran through my hair as my own idly drew circled around his exposed belly-button.

"Well," I bit my lip lightly. "I'm going back to California in a few weeks…" I began.

"And I'm getting married the week after next." He finished for me with a sigh. "Susannah, I told you. I don't want to marry Maria. I lo-like you. Not her."

"Then why _are _you marrying her Jesse?" I felt my eyes begin to water and I shook the tears away. I was not going to cry any more over this. "If you hate her so much. Why?"

Jesse's fingers left my hair and burrowed themselves into his own dark curls.

"Susannah, I'm going through with this because if I don't my father will cut me off."

I sat up slowly and averted my eyes from his own.

Oh. He's one of _those _guys.

"Oh. I see." I said sadly.

His eyes widened almost comically and he reached out to crush me to him in a hug. It was desperate - a need to feel each other's arms wrapped around us. Like our time was running out. His chin rested on my head.

"No, Susannah." He insisted in a low whisper. "Not like that. I don't care about my family's money."

"Then, what?"

I think if I knew why Jesse refused to not marry Maria then somehow, I could convince him to not marry her. Confusing, I know. But in my mind, right at that moment, it seemed a plausible theory.

"He's threatened to cut me off from my family, querida." He continued in a hushed tone. "If I don't marry Maria then he's made sure I know that I'll never see my _mama _or sisters ever again."

His arms tightened around me as I felt the salt from his tears drip from his chin and down my neck.

"If she gives me a reason - like her affair, or when she divorces me - it'll be okay then, Susannah. I can still see my family and you and I can be together."

I pulled away from him.

"It's not that easy, Jesse." I told him.

His red-rimmed eyes stared down at me.

"Are you telling me that you wont be with me if I'm divorced?" He asked disbelievingly. "Susannah, I could never believe that you, out of all people, could be so -"

"No, Jesse." I cut him off. "Not that. God, not that. It's just, you're overlooking that one tiny detail that I'll be in California."

"Where I also work, and live, consequentially." He added with a small smile.

I felt a massive grin take over my face.

"Oh yeah!" I exclaimed, tackling him to the floor and peppering his face with kisses. "Jesse the journalist! My boyfriend, Jesse the journalist who lives in California - like me!"

Jesse chuckled before a serious expression settled over his face.

"Boyfriend?" He asked.

I nodded shyly.

"As soon as you find a way to get away from Maria, I'll be waiting."

He kissed my forehead.

"Good."

I jumped up laughing.

"Now, I have to go to the ladies room." I gestured towards where I'd been heading, the restrooms in full view of where Jesse and I had been sitting. "And when I get back, we can have our photo taken with that blue bird out front. You know, the one with the crazy hair?"

"I think you mean Woody Woodpecker, querida." He laughed and kissed my nose before opening his arms and letting me go.

"That's the one!"

I jogged over to the restrooms, already eager to be back in Jesse's arms. I could feel his gaze burning into my back as I walked away from him.

Turning my head, I blew him a kiss only to find that his gaze was focused on something in front of me. And he didn't look happy.

I twisted my head back in front of me and ran straight in a very male chest.

One belonging to Paul Slater.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded taking a step back.

His hands came up to grip my arms. I noticed that one hand held a limp, slightly crumple bouquet of flowers.

"I'm sorry about this, Susannah." He whispered.

I leaned in closer to hear him more clearly.

"What?" I hissed.

Only I wasn't answered. Vocally, that is.

All I received in response was Paul Slater's lips neatly falling over my own and kissing me even as his arms went to wrap around my waist and pull me in closer.

And it felt so good that, just for one second, I kissed him back. My arms coming up to wrap around his neck as my mouth opened the tiniest bit before I was pulled away from him.

"Just what do you think you're doing Slater?" Jesse demanded angrily as I felt shame shoot through me.

Oh. My. God. What had I just done?

"What does it look like, De Silva?" He countered cockily. "I'm kissing my girlfriend. Guess there's just something about you that makes girls want to seek their pleasure elsewhere."

At that, Jesse exploded - his rage completely taking over him. He cocked back his fist and hook-punched Paul's jaw so that a loud _crack _pierced the air.

Paul fell to the floor like a ton of bricks as I stood back still trying to comprehend that I actually, willingly, kissed Paul Slater.

Jesse's fist next hit Paul's nose, busting it so that blood dripped down his white shirt.

Paul raised up his hands in surrender and Jesse immediately disregarded him, instead turning his attentions on to me.

"Susannah?" He whispered, hurt. "How could you? I thought that … You said …"

"Jesse," I began. "I'm so sorry, I just -"

"Hey." Paul, using the wall for support, slowly stood up. "Don't blame her. You're the one who's getting married in less then two weeks."

Jesse's face instantly washed away of any colour, the chalky pallor looking odd behind his olive skin tone.

"You're right." Jesse whispered. "It's not her fault. I should have realised that-"

He stopped and shook his head.

"I'll see you at the house, Suze." Jesse told me. "You can catch a lift home with your boyfriend."

I froze in shock as he walked away from me, not once looking back. Not only had he believed Paul's lie so easily - please, he could have a little more faith in me - but he'd called me Suze. _Suze!_ He _never_ called me Suze. It had always been Susannah. Or, querida.

Jesse had given up on me.

Paul wiped his bloody nose with his forearm.

"Aww, man," he cursed when seeing the blood that he'd wiped off. "Damn those De Silva's."

I turned a cold glare on Paul.

"Why did you do that, Paul?" I demanded of him. "Why did you have to go and ruin what Jesse and I had? Why did you -"

"Because you didn't have anything!"

His outburst had a few innocent theme park go-ers looking over at him in confusion.

"Face it, Suze." He continued. "You didn't. The guy is engaged and _will_ be getting married soon. Especially if Maria gets what she wants - which, I may not have to tell you, happens often."

"Huh?" I asked confusedly.

"Suze!" He groaned tiredly. "Do you think I wanted to do any of this to you? I knew you weren't interested in me. Sure, it would have been nice if you were, if I could convince you to go out with me. But I knew that you never would. I knew that when you didn't give me a second glance when I transferred back in September."

I still refused to look at him.

"And then we come here. Here in sunny Barcelona to write a stupid essay. We hadn't even taken off before I could see you falling for this new guy. It was bad enough that you had thirteen hours with him on the plane - so bad that I convinced Adam to swap seats with you in Heathrow - but then I find out that you're living with him and that it could have just as easily been me, and you could have ended up with Maria.

"So I stand back and watch you slowly fall in love with this guy." Paul ran his hand over his now-purple jaw. "Even though he's engaged and I can see it going nowhere. I tried to help - to warn you off him back in the beginning. But you wouldn't listen."

I looked at Paul in shock now.

"That still doesn't explain why you pulled that little stunt." Was all I thought of to say.

"That," Paul told me quickly. "Was my way of protecting you. Maria has connections - if not Maria than Diego. Word would have gotten out about you two, and she would have done whatever it took to get you out of the picture. Permanently."

I gulped as the realisation sunk in.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Suze." He was whispering again now. "Really sorry. But I wouldn't have if I didn't truly think it was for the best."

"For the best?" I repeated quietly.

Paul nodded slowly.

"For the best?" I raised my voice.

Paul's nod was even more hesitant.

"So, you think, that it's _for the best _that I have to go back to live with the de Silva's - including Jesse, I might add - and watch as they all excitedly prepare for the wedding of the man I love to their dad's cousin's daughter, who they all hate?" I questioned. "It's _for the best _that the man I love hates me?"

Paul looked taken aback.

"You're saying that it's _for the best_ that Jesse will never speak to me ever again? He's going to marry Maria, let her divorce him then move back to California and never see me ever again. You think that's _for the best_?"

I was openly crying by now having given up long ago on my I-will-not-cry-over-this-again resolution.

"No." Paul's voice was unusually soft as he wiped away a stray tear from my cheek. "I'm saying that it would be for the best if you go home. Back to California with me. Soon."


	14. Chapter 14

**A.N - A relatively quick update - after Feel The Rush, that is. I'm just still on a high from seeing RENT on saturday. I guess it can do that to you.**

**I actually quite like this chapter. Probably because I know what's coming next.**

**So, Flashbacks are for inzie23 who wanted a nice scene in the park. They're all yours. :)**

**The rest of the chapter can be for all my lovely reviewers, who will hopefully keep reviewing even with the possibility of this ending next chapter. Then an Epilogue after that.**

**xD**

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_It was in the Victorian Era (1837 - 1901) that the novel became the leading form of literature in English. Writers became interested in meeting the tastes of the middle class people, as opposed to the considerable less amount of aristocratic patrons. The best known works of the era include the works of the Brontë sisters - __**'Wuthering Heights'**__**'Jane Eyre' **__etc - and the realist novels of George Eliot. Perhaps one of the most famous writers of the era was Charles Dickens, who emerged on the scene in the 1830's. Dickens specialised in writing about London life and struggles of the poor, but in a good-humoured fashion that was acceptable to readers of all classes. His novel __**'David Copperfield' **__is seen as his most autobiographical work. Leading poetic figures of the Victorian Era include Alfred Tennyson, writer of __**'The Lady of Shalott'**__, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Christina Rossetti. __Literature for Children was published during the Victorian period, some of which has become globally well known, such as the work of Lewis Carroll, writer of __**'Alice in Wonderland'**_

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon._

**Chapter 14**

I cannot believe this. It was like my worst nightmare, only I was awake, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. This was torture. This was a million times worse than Jesse getting married to Maria today. This was …

The bridesmaid dress Maria had picked out.

Well, okay, it wasn't _that _bad. I could pull off the green because it matched my eyes. I think maybe the trouble wasn't the wedding dress, but the wedding.

Two weeks. Two whole weeks and I'd barely said a word to Jesse. He'd been ignoring me since the whole Port Aventura thing - which I hadn't forgiven Paul for, despite his pleas. And now, I was stuck wearing a radioactive green dress - with yellow heels, I might add - waiting to precede Maria down the aisle.

If I had known Spain could be so cruel, I never would have picked European Literature as my topic.

I had caught one glimpse of Jesse today. He looked so amazingly hot in his tuxedo. Maria didn't know what she has. How anyone could think of divorcing Jesse for _Felix Diego_, I have no idea.

"Oh, Suze!" Mercedes gushed, wearing the same coloured bridesmaid gown as myself, wrapping her arms around me in a hug. "You look so beautiful! And I'm sorry, again, about my brother."

I blinked tears out of my eyes.

"Don't be." I told her, hugging her back. "It's partly my own fault and besides, you shouldn't apologise for him."

"You should talk to him." She suggested, pulling away from me.

"I should really go home." I said to myself quietly, offering a small smile to Mercedes. "Thanks. Maybe I will."

She smiled at me and went over to talk to her younger sisters, Rosita and Abegail, who were dressed in pure white dresses, flower baskets in their hands. I smiled and waved at them. I really was going to miss Spain, for the most part.

There was half an hour until the wedding was due to start. Half an hour until the love of my life was due to get married to somebody who didn't love him.

I caught Mercedes giving me a pointed look and I sighed and nodded towards her as I left the room.

I guess I was going to talk to her older brother.

--- --- ---

_I gulped as I looked up towards the towering roller coaster structure. The buzz of excited theme-park goers sounded far away as I contemplated what Jesse was asking me to do._

"_You want me to ride **that**?" I asked incredulously._

"_In the front row." He nodded his confirmation._

"_No way." I refused, digging my feet into the ground as he tried to drag me along towards the line. "Nuh-uh. You'll never get me to ride that thing."_

"_Susannah," Jesse said tiredly. "It's either this, or that."_

_He pointed towards another tall structure, this time a tall tower which raised you slowly to the top and then dropped you suddenly._

"_What's that?" I asked interestedly._

"_Hurakan Condor." He replied, waving a hand towards the ride in boredom. "It's not so scary. It's actually quite boring if you think about it, you just get taken up a hundred metres, then dropped again."_

"_A hundred meters?" I asked open mouthed._

_He rolled his eyes._

"_Sí, querida." He kissed me swiftly on the lips. "Now, will you come on this so that we can go on the canyon ride afterwards?"_

"_Canyon ride?" I asked warily._

"_River Rapids, it's called." He explained. "You sit in a boat and you're guaranteed to get wet."_

"_I am not getting my hair wet." I refused vehemently._

_Though the prospect of Jesse with a wet t-shirt was more then appealing._

_Unfortunately, he took my day-dreaming opportunity as a chance to drag me into the queue for Dragon Khan, people quickly joining behind us to prevent me escaping._

"_Jesse!" I exclaimed._

_He chuckled._

"_Remember querida, the front seats."_

_I pouted and looked away from him, keeping my gaze steadily on the floor. I hated roller coasters, they tended to take you up high. He knows I have a problem with that. He was sitting next to me when we took off from California._

"_Susannah," he lifted my chin with his index finger, forcing me to look into his dark brown eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be there for you. Always. I won't let anything bad happen."_

_It was on the tip of my tongue to ask 'even after you get married?', but was saved the humiliation when his lips closed over mine._

_When he pulled away, I'd forgotten all about our conversation._

"_Always, querida." He repeated, linking his hand with my own._

_And I believed him._

--- --- ---

There was now only one door separating Jesse and I. One little piece of wood. This was the closest we'd been in a while.

I raised my hand, took a deep breath, and knocked heavily three times.

"Come in!" I heard Jesse call in his deep voice.

Opening the door slowly, I held my breath as he turned around to greet me. He was in the middle of tying up his tie.

"Susannah." He gasped, his hands freezing in their actions. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

What about, though, I hadn't a clue.

"Well, I'm here." He raised his hands as if to show me his physical presence. Like I hadn't already noticed. His shirt was partially unbuttoned, enough to make any woman swoon - and possibly some guys too. "Talk."

I bit my lip as I walked up to him and began to tie his tie.

"I miss you." I whispered, my eyes downcast, focusing on my hands.

"Susannah." This time his voice was plagued with warning. "You're the one who didn't tell me about you and Paul."

I finished tying his tie and brushed imaginary dirt off his shoulders, before stepping back in horror.

"That's because there is no 'me and Paul'. He made it up. And if you had even tried to talk to me these past two weeks you would have known that!" I accused him.

"Susannah, how am I suppose to believe that when you were kissing him?" He demanded. "I saw you two."

"It was all him, Jesse." I sighed. "Paul's way of splitting us up, which, apparently, worked."

Jesse shook his head and turned away from me.

"I can't Susannah." He whispered. "I'm getting married in twenty minutes."

"There's still enough time to stop it."

Why had I listened to Mercedes? This was worse than pouring salt into an open wound. Not that I'd ever tried it, but I heard that it hurt.

"And never see my family again?" He stated sarcastically. "Great suggestion, Susannah."

"Just explain it to your dad. He can't hold this against you." I insisted. "He can't make you marry someone you don't love."

"You've been living with my dad the past three months, you tell me how he'd react." His voice slowly rose in decibel level with every word. "Marriages aren't for love nowadays, Susannah. People don't get married out of a need to spend every waking moment together. It's all about business. Life is not a fairytale."

"Well maybe it should be." I could feel tears pricking in my eyes, my mascara already beginning to smear. "You should marry for love. You shouldn't have to marry for business - what kind of a life is that?"

"Mine."

That one word echoed in the room around us.

I shook my head slowly.

"Only because you made it like that." I told him. "Life is what you make of it. You've made these decisions. Not your father, nor Maria, nor anybody else you wish to blame. You."

I turned my back on him and walked to the door, stopping just before walking through it.

"You're a coward, Jesse." I spoke quietly. "And I could never love a coward."

Then I walked through the doors without turning back.

--- --- ---

"_God, this line is taking forever." I complained from my position in Jesse's arms. "Do you actually want to ride on this thing? Or are you just slowly committing suicide. Maybe we should go and liven you up a little bit."_

_I began to walk towards the barrier and jump over it to get out of my place in this dreaded line._

"_Nice try, querida." Jesse smirked down at me as he pulled me back into his arms. "But we're almost there. Remember, first row."_

_I bit my lip as I glanced up at him from under my eyelashes._

"_But you know how I feel about travelling upwards," I reminded him. "Are you sure we have to ride this? I'd much prefer the tea-cups."_

"_I'm sure you would." Jesse agreed. "But this is the ride I choose."_

_He squeezed my hand and raised it to his lips._

"_It'll be over soon and then, I promise you, you'll have loved it."_

_He sounded so sincere, what else could I do but give in? He wouldn't put me in danger. I trusted him._

--- --- ---

"You okay?" Paul Slater's voice made me jerk up my mascara-stained face. He smiled. "I heard the shouting."

"Oh." I used the back of my hand to wipe my eyes, grimacing at the black smudge left over. "Ugh, I must look horrible."

"Never." Paul smiled at me, taking my hand in his. "So, about going back to California, I guess you decided to wait the extra week, huh?"

I looked around the empty room we were in inside the church. Jesse was probably at the altar by now, all the guests in their seats and little Rosie and Abbie were in the process of scattering their flower petals. They were also probably looking frantically for me.

"No." I stated suddenly, startling him.

"No?" He repeated, confused.

"No." I repeated. "I want to go home now. I'm going to go back to the de Silva house, change, and then catch the first plane home. I don't care if I have three layovers. I just want leave."

"I'll take you." Paul told me kindly. "I'm kind of getting bored of this place as well."

He squeezed the hand he was still holding.

"I'll look after you." He added.

I closed my eyes.

--- --- ---

"_It's okay, querida." Jesse took my hand after I'd been strapped into my seat firmly, me pulling the seatbelt as tight as it would go._

_He'd actually managed to get me into the first cart._

"_I'll look after you." He added._

_I closed my eyes._

_The cart lurched forward and Jesse's hand was clenched - probably painfully - in my own._

"_It's okay, querida." He repeated._

_I opened my eyes again slowly._

_We were travelling up the first, and biggest, part of the track. I watched as more and more of the Spanish horizon was revealed to me, the sun blissfully shining down on the theme park._

"_Wow." I whispered._

"_I know." Jesse whispered back before raising his voice and lifting my hand into the air. "Now, hold on."_

_The cart lurched over the top, pulling us down again quickly before turning sharply one way and twisting another._

_I screamed in excitement, raising my other hand to join the one clutched in Jesse's in the air._

"_I told you it'd be okay." Jesse insisted to me after I'd stumbled out of my seat and walked dizzily around the front of the ride. "I'll never hurt you, querida."_

--- --- ---

I opened my eyes again slowly.

"Let's go." I whispered.

With our hands entwined together, Paul and I left the church ready to leave Barcelona, and the people we'd met, behind us.

And as we walked out the church doors, I heard those four all-too-familiar notes.

_Duh-Duhn-Duh-Duh._


	15. Chapter 15

**A.N - Well, this is it guys, the last chapter. I'm still debating whther or not to Epilogue it, so it's up to you guys. What do you want me to do?**

**xD**

**I had so much fun writing this story, and thank you all so much for reviewing so faithfully like you have been doing. Now, you guys know I don't normally beg for reviews (maybe once or twice) but please review? I have like 87 alerts for this story and if you all reviewed then ... wow. That'd be a hell of a lot of reviews.**

**Thank you so much. Again.**

_

* * *

_

_Although literary modernism reached its peak between the First and Second World Wars, the earliest examples of the movement's attitudes appeared in the mid to late nineteenth century. The poet and novelist Thomas Hardy represented a few of the major early modernists writing in England during the Victorian period. The first decades of the twentieth century saw several major works of modernism published including the poetry and drama of William Butler Yeats. During this movement in English Literature, American poet Ezra Pound was credited with discovering the novelist James Joyce whose novel __**'Ulysses' **__is considered to be one of the century's greatest literary achievements, as well as advancing the techniques of imagism and free verse, both of which would then go on to dominate English poetry into the twenty-first century. Gertrude Stein was also an enormous literary force during this time period, famous for her line __**"Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose."**_

_European Literature_

_An Essay by Susannah Simon._

**Chapter 15**

We actually managed to get a cheap flight to London - Gatwick, this time - that left shortly after we'd arrived at the airport. The ticket guy, whose nametag read Antonio, handed us our tickets with an expression of boredom latched onto his face.

That had been an hour ago now, and all I had done in that time was watch mine and Paul's flight creep slowly up on the monitor for departing flights whilst thinking about Jesse. It was stupid, I knew that. He was probably married by now, sharing his first dance as man and wife with Maria, only to have her file for divorce in a few months. And it would have to be a few months, otherwise the marriage would just be annulled, and she would get nothing.

And Maria wouldn't be happy with nothing.

My plane was now due to arrive in half an hour.

I felt a hand contract around my own and looked up at Paul's blue eyes expectantly.

"It'll be fine," he promised. "You'll get over it. It was just a crush."

"Yeah." I managed a small smile.

Just a crush … that I'd completely fallen head over heels for.

I was such an idiot. From the very beginning, this relationship was trouble. But I had to wait until I'd already grown attached before I called it quits.

I stood up quickly.

"I'm just going to go and get something to eat." I announced.

"Let me go with you." Paul stood up as well but I gestured for him to remain seated.

"I'd rather be alone," I shrugged casually. "If that's okay."

Paul nodded understandingly and I smiled at him before wrapping my arms around myself and walking towards the food court.

It's funny really, how much your life can change in the time of three months. I came out here, super-excited about spending three months lounging in the sun with my best friends. I'm going home broken-hearted and with Paul Slater, someone I'd never looked at twice back in California.

And all because of a stranger that I'd met on a plane.

--- --- ---

Ten minutes to go now.

I'm hoping that the reception was still going on. I didn't even want to consider thinking about what would happen on Jesse and Maria's wedding night.

I shivered.

"Cold?" The ever attentive Paul asked me.

I shook my head.

"No," I admitted. "Just thinking."

"Oh, well," Paul paused as he thought something over then, shrugging, reached over to wrap his arms around me in a tight hug. "It won't stop me from warming you up anyway."

I forced a thankful smile to appear on my face.

It was a nice gesture, really it was. But Paul just wasn't …

"Jesse." The name fell involuntarily from my lips.

I shut my eyes and felt Paul stiffen next to me.

"Suze?" He whispered into my ear. "Jesse -"

"Isn't here, I know." I interrupted, my head buried deep in Paul's chest. "I'm sorry. It's just all still so … raw, you know?"

"No, Suze." Paul insisted. "Jesse is -"

He was interrupted again. But not by me.

"Here."

I wrenched away from Paul as if he'd burnt me and stared up at the picture Jesse made, standing in front of me still dressed in his wedding tuxedo, the tie loosened and his shirt hanging out. His deep brown eyes were looking down at me sadly and with a hint of anger.

Standing up, I glared at him as I crossed my arms over my chest.

No, he did not get to come here, after marrying that _gold digger _and then make me feel bad for hugging a friend. I was holding my ground this time. He'd already me cry way too many times in the past three months. No more.

"And shouldn't you be with your wife, Mr. De Silva?" I questioned with my eyebrow raised.

"Probably," he admitted with a chuckle.

I felt a pang at the thought of him actually having married Maria, but I didn't let him see it.

"Then go," I snapped. "I have a flight to catch."

I wasn't lying. The flight was edging dangerously close to the top of the board. I was meant to be in the departure lounge already.

"Not until you hear me out." Jesse grabbed my arm to stop me from moving.

I moved my pointed glaze from the hand around my arm to his oh-so-handsome face.

_No, Suze,_ I told myself. _Hold your ground._

"Do you mind?" I asked.

He sighed and released me.

"Susannah, wait!" He insisted. "We've been running circles around each other for the past two weeks."

"And who's fault is that?" I countered. "You're the one who refused to talk to me, refused to hear my side of the story!"

"I know, and I'm sorry, but Susannah, listen -"

"Jesse." I shut my eyes. "I can't. I spent three months with you truly believing that that wedding would not take place. And I was wrong. I guess I was wrong about you too."

"_Passengers of flight BA4107 to London, Gatwick, please report to the departure lounge immediately."_

Both Jesse and I looked up at the announcement before our gazes landed on each other. Jesse's hands were held behind his back.

Paul's heavy hand fell on my shoulder.

"Come on Suze," he said to me, glaring at Jesse all the while. "We have to go."

Nodding slowly I gathered my hand luggage, the rest of my luggage was being flown out to me next week.

"This isn't over!" Jesse called to me. "I live in California, remember? I'll be back out there in two weeks."

"With Maria." I added under my breath.

If Jesse heard me, he didn't say anything.

Paul wrapped his arm around my shoulders, his touch feeling slimy to me. I didn't push him away though, to do so meant that Jesse had won.

I glanced behind me to catch another glimpse of Jesse before I never set eyes on him ever again. And I was determined not to. I'd never told him where about in California I came from. The chance of him finding me - unless he was _really _determined - was slim to none.

But he wasn't there. Instead, I caught a glimpse of his dark, curly hair as he walked further away from me, and a single red rose left on the seat I'd been occupying.

I froze as I saw it.

"Suze?" Paul asked tiredly.

I shook him off and ran back over to where I'd been sitting before Jesse arrived.

There was a note accompanying the flower.

'_A Rose is a rose is a rose._

_Like my love for you._

_Jesse xxx'_

And, that simply, he'd done it again. Jesse de Silva had made me cry _again_.

"Well that's the strangest note I've ever read before." Paul stated sarcastically. "What is it supposed to even mean?!"

I smiled through my tears.

"It means -" I stopped and sniffed a little, smoothing over the letters on the note as I looked at the vibrant red colour of the rose. "It means that a rose is always a rose, no matter what happens to it. It's always a rose. Constant. Like his love for me."

A huge smile broke out of my face.

"He loves me." I whispered to myself. "And always will."

Then, like some heroine in a cheesy teen movie, I kissed Paul's cheek and thanked him for being there for me today before grabbing the rose and the note and running through the airport, racing after Jesse as fast as my legs could take me.

He mustn't have married Maria after all, and the thought filled me with happiness.

Jesse de Silva loves me. And I love him. Now I just had to find him and let him know.

I didn't have to look far. He was waiting for me just outside of the airport.

"I knew you hadn't given up on me." He smiled as I saw him. "I knew you'd look back one last time."

Walking up to him slowly, I smiled.

"You really think you know me that much?" I whispered.

"I know I do."

He wrapped his arms around me as soon as I was within his reach. His touch was warm and sent good-tingles down my spine. It completely eradicated Paul's earlier touch.

"I'm so sorry, querida." He whispered into my hair. "I can't even begin to imagine how much pain I've put you through these past months. Seeing you like that with Paul just about killed me. It was much worse for you."

"It's okay." I insisted. "But, did you actually …"

I trailed off uncertainly, biting my lower lip.

Jesse laughed deeply and held up his left hand for me to see.

"No ring." He smiled.

I took his big hand in my own smaller one and traced each individual finger with my own, before kissing the place that a wedding band should now have been.

"I'm glad you saw sense." I teased. "I guess you aren't as much of a coward as I thought."

"I guess not." He agreed.

Remaining still while Jesse's arms was tightly banded around me was practically heaven. After having been parted for weeks, and only experiencing stolen moments before hand … There were no words to describe the way I felt right then.

"Did you mean it?" I whispered finally.

"Mean what?" Jesse was quick to reply.

"The note." I confirmed. "You said you loved me."

Jesse smiled.

"Yes, I meant that. Every word." He paused and stared down at me for the longest of seconds before dropping a sweet kiss on my lips. "I love you, Susannah."

"I love you too." I sighed, happy now that the words were out in the open.

Jesse's smile grew bigger and he leaned down and kissed me properly, our separation only having made our desire for each other stronger.

I'd never thought I'd get a happy ending like the ones in the books that I have to endlessly analyse for English Literature. Never had I loved that subject more then I did now for sending me here.

Jesse pulled away from me, eyes shut and smiling broadly. I heard the sound of applause and wolf-whistles from the Spanish public who'd been watching us.

Jesse smiled down at me, hugging me to him tightly before whispering in my ear three words I'd never get tired of hearing, no matter the language.

"Te Amo, Querida."


	16. Epilogue

**A.N - Okay, this is really the end now. Though, if you didn't want an Epilogue, completely disregard this update, and use last chapter as the ending. I think they both work well enough.**

**Thank you to everybody who reviewed last chapter (35 reviews!) and to those who've reviewed throughout. You know who you are.**

**And, look out for my next story : Sheriff De Silva in the Wild West. Hesitantly titled Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.**

**Should be fun. xD**

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_In conclusion, English literature has taken many forms over the years, from the world-famous works of William Shakespeare (to whom this author is forever indebted to because, without Shakespeare, we would never have gotten to see Leonardo DiCaprio perform so well in Romeo and Juliet) to the romantic classics such as **'Pride and Prejudice'** and **'Jane Eyre'**. It is the development of English Literature, however, that brought us the novels which we all secretly love to curl up on the sofa and read for a night. At least this author does._

_European Literature _

_An Essay by Susannah Simon_

**Epilogue**

**_Eighteen Months Later_**

"Querida?" Jesse called to me from our kitchen. Yes, _our_ kitchen. "Where do you want to put these glasses?"

"Second cupboard from the right!" I called back to him as I stood and looked around _our_ living room.

I'd never get tired of those words. I felt so grown up when I said them. The past four years I'd been in college, sure, but I'd also been relying on my mom and Andy for so long. When I finally graduated three months ago in June, I moved into Jesse's apartment, finally feeling like I was independent.

Now, we'd bought our own house. Well, we were in the process of buying it, at least.

I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist and a pair of lips kiss my shoulder.

"Don't forget that my cousin is coming to the house warming party." Jesse reminded me deeply.

I cringed.

I don't think Maria had ever actually forgiven me for being the cause of her embarrassment those months ago. She _says_ that she's fine with it, that she could see how much more in love with me Jesse was even then, but I know that she means that she hates me.

She recovered from it well enough, marrying Diego in August of last year, but Maria still despises me for the amount of money I'd made her lose out on.

Which was another thing. By looking at our house, you'd never believe that I was engaged to a man of wealth. Jesse lived quite modestly. He mainly just spent what he earned from being a journalist.

"I know." I replied to my fiancé. "And I'll be on my best behaviour."

"You better be," he joked, kissing my nose quickly. "Else I'll take that ring back. I can't have you being mean to my family!"

I clutched my left hand in my right, keeping my engagement ring away from the long fingers that threatened to steal it.

"Hey!" I complained. "It's not like I don't try to be nice. She's the one who hates me."

Jesse chuckled.

"Well you did take away all of her money." He reminded me.

I rolled my eyes. As if I could forget.

"I just wish my father had realised that a little bit sooner." He added quietly.

Jesse's father had stayed true to his threat, cutting Jesse off from his family the second that he ran out of the church to find me. They hadn't talked for a year and a half now, give or take a few months. The house warming party tomorrow was a reunion of-sorts for the both of them. His sisters had refused to not see Jesse from the very beginning.

"You never actually told me, you know." I cuddled up to his side after he'd led me to the sofa and sat down.

"Told you what?" He asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and kissing my temple.

"Why you ran after me." I kept my gaze solely on the many boxes we had yet to unpack. "Why you didn't actually marry Maria."

"I just couldn't." He replied quietly, his mind a year away. "The music started, the congregation stood up and the doors opened, revealing Maria to my gaze. And all I could see was you - you calling me a coward." He smiled slightly at the memory. "Maria came charging down the aisle towards me, a smirk that could only be described as malicious on her face, and I wished it was you. That it was you I was marrying.

"So, I left." He concluded. "She looked up at me, a glint in eyes that were the wrong colour. Muddy brown instead of emerald green." I blushed. "And I left that church and drove to you as fast as I could."

"I'm glad you did." I smiled, closing my eyes as he brought his lips down over mine.

"I'm glad I did too." He told me.

We sat in silence for a moment, thinking about that day.

"If I hadn't," he continued. "I'd have been divorced at twenty four." A look of horror settled on his face as he shuddered visibly. "Perish the thought!"

"Uh-huh." I joined in. "And if you hadn't come after me, chances are I would have been going out with Paul by now. Possibly his fiancée, instead of yours."

I grinned as I felt Jesse's grip around me tighten.

"I'm glad I did." He repeated.

Even now, Jesse and Paul were not on very good speaking terms. Paul had been forever insistent that I'd made the wrong choice in going back to Jesse, and Jesse had been adamant that Paul Slater was the reason why we hadn't worked in the first place, and that he was just looking for an excuse to split us up.

I don't think I'd ever seen Jesse more relieved then I had the day that I told him Paul was engaged to someone else.

"Come on, querida." Jesse pulled me off the sofa with him. "Let's get unpacking. We've got a party to prepare for tomorrow."

"As well as a wedding to prepare for at the end of the month." I added.

"Ah, how could I forget?" He smiled at me.

I pressed my lips to his.

"As long as you don't forget again, I'll let it slide." I told him.

"I love you, Susannah 'soon-to-be-De-Silva' Simon." He whispered.

"I love you too." I replied, leaning into his embrace as his arms wrapped around my waist. "You know I do."

"Yes." He admitted. "And I'll never forget it."

Then he whispered those three words. The words I longed to hear, despite the fact that I did hear them every day. The words that filled me with a thrill, even more so than when he says them in English.

"Te Amo, Querida."

And of course, I had to tell him back.

"Te Amo, Querido."


End file.
